Killers drummer Vanucci fronts side project Big Talk

Of late, he's been sounding like James Earl Jones, his voice all deep and Darth Vader-like from fatigue.

It's not like Ronnie Vanucci's not used to talking -- dude's pretty skilled at it, a natural, good-humored conversationalist who could probably manage to illicit a few laughs reciting the ingredients to a tube of toothpaste.

But when it comes to singing, that's new.

Vanucci's best known as the drummer for The Killers, but on Tuesday, he released the debut from his (mostly) solo project Big Talk, which will be playing its first show at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip on Wednesday.

In preparation for the band's premiere gig, Vanucci has been rehearsing hard, and his voice has been feeling the strain.

"It's George Burns on lead vocals," Vanucci says chuckling, poking fun of his condition after band practice on a recent Wednesday afternoon.

Vanucci is supposed to be taking it easy these days, after close to a decade of near constant touring and recording with The Killers.

He tried.

He got bored.

"You get accustomed to living a certain way and going at a certain speed, and all of a sudden, we decided as a band to put the boots up for a little while, take a breather after nine years, and I couldn't do it," Vanucci says. "I don't have any kids and I didn't really want to start a family yet. I was feeling creative, like I needed to start something, so I just started doing demos."

Those demos eventually led to Big Talk's self-titled debut, a wide-ranging, uninhibited album that sounds like Vanucci rummaging through his record collection, a little glam here, a touch of country there, all of it built around hooks so sturdy, it's as if they came anchored in concrete.

There's the Paul McCartney-esque pop of "The Next One Living," the hard driving, head-down rock 'n' roll of "Getaways" and the dusky campfire slow burn of "No Whiskey," which begins as an acoustic lament before bursting to life midway through like a lit match tossed into a pool of kerosene.

Vanucci plays all the instruments on the record, save for lead guitar, which is handled by Taylor Milne, Vanucci's former bandmate in long dormant alt-rockers Expert on October, and often penned the songs in off-the-cuff fashion, making the lyrics up as he went on some of the tunes, which lends the album a loose, impulsive feel.

"I didn't go into this with any grand objective other than to create some good songs and whatever vehicle they wanted to ride in, fine by me," Vanucci says. "There was no muzzle put on it at all. I like things very haphazard and natural."

To release the album, Vanucci formed his own label, Little Oil, which is being distributed by punk powerhouse Epitaph Records.

"It's been a total passion pit," he says. "It's not a lucrative thing at all. I'm underwriting the whole thing. I've taken on a lot, and I think one thing leads to another."

Now, it's time to take it to the stage, where Vanucci's still getting used to being the frontman, singing over a loud live band.

"I might freeze in front of everybody, but so far, it feels good," Vanucci says. "It's really interesting to feel the transition of these preternatural instincts to beat your guitar up like a drum. That's been a bit of an adjustment."

Still, Vanucci doesn't sound too worried about it.

He's not stressed about being stressed.

"I like the butterflies, man," he says. "If I knew that this was going to be an easy thing, I probably would have been bored with it already and just put it to bed. I like feeling the pressure and the challenge. And I've got my day job, you know?"

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.