Kings of Leon

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Kings of Leon
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Garage rock revival Southern rock Pop Rock
Years active	1999–present
Label(s)	Sony Music/RCA/Columbia
Website	kingsofleon.com
Members
Nathan Followill Caleb Followill Jared Followill Matthew Followill

Kings of Leon is an alternative rock band from Nashville, Tennessee formed in 1999 by the brothers Caleb Followill (vocals and guitar), Jared Followill (bass guitar, vocals and keyboards) and Nathan Followill (drums, percussion and vocals), with their cousin Matthew Followill (guitar and vocals). Both their father and grandfather went by the name 'Leon', which is where the band gets its name. The band's early music was an upbeat blend of southern rock and garage rock influences. Since then, the band has experimented with various genres of music. Since the band's 2003 debut, they have grown from an indie act to achieve international superstardom, particularly in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The band also experienced a huge growth in popularity in Canada and the United States on the heels of their 2008 album Only by the Night. As of 2009, Kings of Leon have attained nine Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, including the number-one single "Sex on Fire".

Contents 1 History 1.1 Formation and first years: 1999–2002 1.2 Youth and Young Manhood: 2003 1.3 Aha Shake Heartbreak: 2004-2005 1.4 Because of the Times: 2006-2007 1.5 Only by the Night: 2008-2009 2 Awards and acclaim 3 Discography 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Formation and first years: 1999–2002

Nathan, Caleb, and Jared Followill were born to Betty-Ann and Ivan Followill, a Pentecostal evangelist minister. Caleb and Jared were born in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, while Nathan and cousin Matthew were born in Oklahoma City. ^[1] The brothers spent much of their youth traveling around the South with their father and their mother, who taught them when they were not in school. The boys learned to play drums and guitar as children while performing gospel songs in the church. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "While Ivan preached at churches and tent revivals throughout the Deep South, the boys attended and were occasionally enlisted to bang on some drums. They were home-schooled or enrolled in small parochial schools. Except for a five-year stretch when they settled in Jackson, Tennessee, the Followills spent their childhoods driving through the South, camping for a week or two wherever Ivan was scheduled to preach."^{[citation needed]}

Nathan, the eldest of the brothers, graduated from Christian Life Academy (a private school that is now defunct) in Henderson, TN. Caleb dropped out mid-Junior year to pursue a job in construction but later quit to work on music with his brother Nathan.^[2] Despite their religious background, they say their father would often play rock records in the car by musicians like the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and Bad Company while their mother was not around.^[1] After they signed with RCA in 2002, the boys invited their cousin, Matthew Followill, to join the band as the lead guitarist.^[1]

[edit] Youth and Young Manhood: 2003

Kings of Leon's first release, The Holy Roller Novocaine EP came out in 2003. At this point, Jared was yet to pick up a bass. He bought himself one, locked himself in his room and taught himself bass. Ready to record the first album, he was only 16 at the time. Four of its five songs would later be released on Youth and Young Manhood, with the songs "California Waiting" and "Wasted Time" being remade. The EP also contained the B-side "Wicker Chair". Another track called 'Absent', rumoured to be about singer Caleb's childhood sweetheart Marnie Jensen was discarded prior to release. All the songs were co-written by Angelo Petraglia.^[3]

Their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood, was an average success, particularly outside the United States where they were dubbed one of the driving forces behind the so-called "new rock revolution" by the European press, most significantly in the United Kingdom. Their stakes rose when they were chosen by popular rock bands The Strokes and U2 to tour with them. According to Jared, the title of the album was taken from their father's Bible. All songs were again co-written by Petraglia, who also contributed guitar and co-produced the album with Ethan Johns. The songs "Molly's Chambers", "Red Morning Light", and "Holy Roller Novocaine" were used in various video games, movies, and TV advertisements. "Holy Roller Novocaine" was also used in the films Stuck on You,^[4] and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.^[5] In addition, it was featured on an episode of the popular television show "The Shield".

[edit] Aha Shake Heartbreak: 2004-2005

The band's second album Aha Shake Heartbreak was released in the United Kingdom in October 2004 and in the United States in February 2005. Building on the southern-infused garage rock of their first album, the album broadened the band's domestic and international audience. "The Bucket", "Four Kicks", and "King of the Rodeo" were all released as singles, with the "The Bucket" rising into the Top 20 in Britain. "Taper Jean Girl" was used in the 2007 movie Disturbia and the movie Cloverfield.^[6] The band also garnered accolades from several of their rock peers, including Elvis Costello.^[7] The band toured with U2, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan for much of 2005 and 2006. The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns.^[8]

[edit] Because of the Times: 2006-2007

In March 2006 Kings of Leon were back in the studio, working on their third album. Guitarist Matthew Followill told NME: "Man, we're sitting on a bunch of songs right now that we wish we could let the world hear!". The band's third album was titled Because of the Times, which may be a reference to a church ministers conference of the same name held in Alexandria, Louisiana that the brothers often attended.^[9]

The album was released on April 2, 2007 in the UK, and a day later in the US. NME said that the album "cements Kings of Leon as one of the great American bands of our times."^[10] and Entertainment Weekly called Because of the Times "an epic wide-screen movie of a CD and the band's best to date."^[11] Another reviewer described Because of the Times as, "an accomplished album of unbelievable beauty and familiar, loveable grit. Kings of Leon is maturing wonderfully and with patience, not forcing anything musically or lyrically that doesn’t sound natural."^[12] However, some critics found the album inferior to their previous efforts. Stylus Magazine rated it a C- and noted "If they wanted us to take them serious this time around, they'd at least try to be right honest about their ascent into minor celebrity and not keep on with the yokel façade. Without cautionary yarns regarding life on the tour bus or banging supermodels, the bright-eyed, legs-stretched mood of the music rings just as hollow."^[13] Dave Hood of Artrocker gave the album one star out of five, finding that "Kings of Leon are experimenting, learning, and getting a bit lost."^[14] Pitchfork Media contended that "Because of the Times sound[s] suspiciously like a counterattack on womankind, launched from somewhere in the mid-1990s, deep inside a bruised, stadium-sized ego."^[15]

The album debuted at number one in Russia and Ireland and entered the Euro charts at number twenty-five, selling approximately 70,000 copies in its first week of release. The album was preceded by the single "On Call", which became a hit in Britain and Ireland. The album showed a clear evolution from the band's previous work, as the band's trademark dirty, southern-fried swagger was replaced with a more polished, clean-cut sound. Other singles from the album were "Fans" and "Charmer". The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns.^[16]

[edit] Only by the Night: 2008-2009

After recording throughout most of 2008, "the all American long haired rockers" (The Times), released their fourth studio album Only by the Night on September 19, which on subsequently entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and remained there for one more week. Only By The Night also had two single week stints as the UK #1 album in 2009, one directly after the BRIT Awards. The album sold 1,181,640 copies in 2008 and has so far sold 725,144 more copies in 2009 for total sales to date of 1,906,784 copies. The album was released on September 23 in the USA and reached number 5 on the Billboad Charts.^[17] Reception to the album was the most polarized yet, with the British press granting the album glowing reviews. Q Magazine named Only by the Night "Album of the Year" for 2008. In the United States, reactions to the album were more mixed. Spin, Rolling Stone, and All Music Guide gave the album positive reviews, while Pitchfork Media gave the album a virtual equivalent of 2 stars. The album was officially named as the UK's third biggest selling album of 2008 and the biggest selling album of 2008 in Australia.^{[citation needed]} Australia confirmed the album's popularity with 4 tracks being voted into the world's largest online music poll, Triple J Hottest 100. 'Crawl' came in at number 70, 'Closer' at number 24 and 'Use Somebody' was number 3. Their biggest success from Only By The Night was "Sex on Fire" which was voted number 1 in the 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 poll. It is also the song that won the band a Grammy Award at the 51st Grammy Awards Ceremony held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. They won Best International Band and Best International Album at the Brit Awards 2009 where they also performed Use Somebody.^[18][19] Kings of Leon also performed on 14 March 2009 at Sound Relief, a benefit concert, for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis.^[20][21] The song "Crawl" from this album was released as a free download on the band's website on July 28. "Sex on Fire" was then released as a single for download in the UK on the 8th of September. The song became their most successful as it peaked at number one in the UK and in Ireland. It was also their first song to chart number one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock chart. The second single to be released from the album on 8th December 2008 was "Use Somebody" which achieved worldwide chart success and consistency from Gena, such as in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number two, and also reaching top ten positions in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. The third and fourth singles were "Revelry" and "Notion".^{[citation needed]}

In 2009, the band headlined a number of music festivals, including Big Day Out in Australia, Reading & Leeds, Rock Werchter, Oxegen and T In The Park in Europe, along with Sasquatch, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits in the United States.

[edit] Awards and acclaim

Kings of Leon have garnered a significant amount of acclaim. In 2009, the band won their first Grammy Award for the single Sex on Fire, as well as two BRIT Awards for "Best International Group" and "Best International Album." The band also won an NME Award for Only by the Night for "Album of the Year."

The band's growing popularity has also been recognized by numerous music publications, where Kings of Leon have appeared on the cover. Between late 2008 and 2009, MOJO named Kings of Leon, "The Biggest Band in The World", Rolling Stone referred to them as "America's Hottest Band", Spin Magazine called them "Rock Royalty", and Clash Magazine referenced Kings of Leon as "The World's Most Vital Band."

Following the release of Youth and Young Manhood, NME called the album the most impressive debut of the last decade. In 2005, HARP Magazine called Kings of Leon, "the freshest breeze to blow through the modern music scene since punk rock turned everything upside down and inside out in the late '70s."

In addition, fellow musicians have spoken highly and admirably of Kings of Leon, including Bob Dylan, Issac Brock of Modest Mouse, Noel Gallagher, Bono, Brandon Flowers, and Lily Allen. In 2008, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead called Kings of Leon, "the greatest band in the world." Thom Yorke has also spoken highly of the band. Eddie Vedder has also expressed admiration for the band and performed live on stage with them numerous times. While writing songs for Pearl Jam's eponymous 2006 release, Vedder claims to have traveled to Pacific islands listening only to Aha Shake Heartbreak^[22].

Elton John paid tribute to them during a performance at the The O2 Arena (London) in December 2008, where they had played a matter of days beforehand, by saying, "Just a few days ago, an outstanding band of our time played here... they go by the name of Kings of Leon."

In July 2009 "Sex on Fire" was voted number 90 by the Australian public in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Discography

• Youth and Young Manhood (2003)
• Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
• Because of the Times (2007)
• Only by the Night (2008)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Kings of Leon at MySpace

v • d • e Kings of Leon Nathan Followill · Caleb Followill · Jared Followill · Matthew Followill Studio albums Youth and Young Manhood · Aha Shake Heartbreak · Because of the Times · Only by the Night EP & live albums Holy Roller Novocaine · What I Saw · Day Old Belgian Blues Singles "Red Morning Light" · "Molly's Chambers" · "Wasted Time" · "California Waiting" · "The Bucket" · "Four Kicks" · "King of the Rodeo" · "On Call" · "Fans" · "Charmer" · "Sex on Fire" · "Use Somebody" · "Revelry" · "Notion" Related articles Discography