Mormon, Utahn is a backup singer on Brandon Flowers' tour

For Rachel Kaiser, it was the surprise of a lifetime.

Four days before Brandon Flowers, lead signer of The Killers, began a solo tour, Kaiser learned she would be joining the tour as a backup singer.

"They called me at 1 on Tuesday and by 1:30 I was on the road to Las Vegas to audition," said Kaiser, whose name had been passed on to Flowers' manager.

"After I auditioned they told me right away that I made it. Then, after I freaked out a little bit, they told me I wouldn't even have time to go back home and get any of my stuff."

Despite the rushed job offer, she embraced the opportunity — and has enjoyed every minute. Kaiser, who is from Orem, Utah, will perform in her home state when Flowers' tour stops at the Depot in Salt Lake City on Nov. 17.

"It's been amazing and such a great learning experience as a musician," Kaiser said. "Brandon is brilliant. His lyrics and everything else I just admire so much."

While on tour, Kaiser quickly discovered she and Flowers share more in common than just music.

"One of the first things he talked to me about was the fact we are both LDS," she said. "I think it was a way to break the ice."

Kaiser has been grateful for the high standards Flowers and others set. She has not been confronted with the partying, drugs and alcohol that often accompany musicians on tour.

Kaiser hopes the exposure from singing in front of millions while touring across Europe and performing on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno will draw more attention to her own band, The Neighbors.

Formed just more than a year ago, The Neighbors is made up of Rachel and her brother Adam. The brother-and-sister duo manages to switch effortlessly between vocals, keyboards, drums and bass.

While on a two-week break from the Flowers tour, the Kaisers took advantage of the time together by performing for friends and fans in Utah, Idaho and California.

Even though the siblings have been busy with separate side projects, they are eager to move forward with their own group.

"After the tour with Brandon is finished, we are going to have our EP [extended play] ready, and hopefully set up some meetings to get onto a label," Adam Kaiser said. "That's the real goal, to make music a career."