Iowa transplant Dave Keuning is best known as a member of the Killers. Keuning cofounded the band after placing ad in the local Las Vegas Weekly looking to form a band, mentioning Oasis and attracting 20-year-old Brandon Flowers. With a four-track demo of “Mr. Brightside” in hand, Keuning impressed Flowers enough to result in the formation of the Killers.
In 2018, while on a break from touring with the Killers, he recorded a solo album, Prismism, released under his surname Keuning the following year. The project evolved from hundreds of voice memos that he stockpiled while on tour with the Killers over the last decade that were eventually transformed into songs.
Prismism was preceded by a single for "Restless Legs" which was promoted with an animated video directed by Russell Sheaffer, followed by the title single, which came with its own video. “The video is emotional and it pairs well with the song. It’s a lot of people's favorite track on the album,” says Keuning. “I was experimenting my Yamaha keyboard when I wrote this song. I got it as a Christmas present back in the 80s. I have carried that keyboard with me to college, then Las Vegas, and everywhere I lived, but I didn't get a chance to use it until this record.” Another single for “Boat Accident” came with an animated video, and early 2019 saw the release of a single for the ballad "The Queen's Finest."
The album was financed in part by a PledgeMusic campaign offering donation rewards such as guitars and jackets worn on tours with the Killers, a Skype hang, and his 1979 Trans AM.
2021 saw the release of a 16-song sophomore solo album, A Mild Case of Everything, recorded at his home studio in San Diego. “I wrote and recorded this album throughout 2020, I am really proud of the music, and I think it is my best work. I felt more comfortable as a singer this time and also had a lot of fun with the guitar. I also took some chances on some short songs, long songs and did whatever I felt like. ‘Don't Poke the Bear’ is a nine-minute song I wrote in the middle of the night and just kept adding parts to it until five in the morning. I tried to have fun but I also have moments lyrically I am proud of.”
Keuning played all the instruments on the LP other than drum tracks provided via email by Seth Luloff in Iowa, as well as handling the vocals. He'd been on leave from the Killers since 2017 after suffering exhaustion from their heavy touring schedule, nor did he appear on their 2020 album Imploding the Mirage. Tracks previewed online include “Bad Instincts,” “Ends of the Earth,” and “No One Is Calling You a Liar.”
In late May 2021, a music video debuted for “Time & Fury,” directed by Russell Sheaffer and featuring vignettes of Keuning performing intermixed with vintage clips of various people dancing, exploring the idea of "time" as it passes us by.
A music video was produced for the guitar driven opening track “From Stardust,” directed by longtime collaborator Russell Sheaffer. The animated stop motion film short explores the theme that all living beings, especially animals and humans, are all connected.