Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee in 1999. The band is made up of brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill, along with their cousin Matthew Followill.

Their music started as a mix of Southern rock, garage rock, and blues, but over the years it has grown to include many different music genres with a more alternative rock style. The band first became famous in the United Kingdom, where they had nine songs that were very popular and won two BRIT Awards in 2008. Their third album, Because of the Times, reached the top spot.

After releasing Only by the Night in September 2008, Kings of Leon became very successful in the United States too. Songs like "Use Somebody" and "Notion" became huge hits. The album was their first to sell a million copies in the United States and was the best-selling album of 2008 in Australia. Since then, they have released many more albums, including Come Around Sundown, Mechanical Bull, Walls, When You See Yourself, and Can We Please Have Fun. The band has won 4 Grammy Awards from 12 nominations, including Record of the Year for "Use Somebody."

History

The Followill brothers and their cousin Matthew grew up in Oklahoma and Tennessee. Their father was a preacher, and their mother homeschooled them or sent them to small schools. The family moved around a lot, traveling in an old car to places where the father preached.

In 1997, when their parents divorced, Nathan and Caleb moved near Nashville and started listening to country music. They met a songwriter who taught them and introduced them to bands like the Rolling Stones. Jared, influenced by bands like the Pixies, joined them along with cousin Matthew in 1999, and they formed Kings of Leon, naming the band after their grandfather Leon.

By 2002, Nathan and Caleb signed with RCA Records. They decided to form a band with their younger brother Jared on bass and cousin Matthew on guitar. Their first EP, Holy Roller Novocaine, released in 2003, brought them attention. Jared was only 16 at the time and had not yet learned to play bass.

Their first full album, Youth and Young Manhood, released in 2003, became popular in the UK but did not do as well in the US. Their second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak, released in 2004, helped them gain more fans around the world. The band continued to release albums, including Because of the Times in 2007 and Only by the Night in 2008, which became very successful, especially in the UK.

In 2010, they released Come Around Sundown, but faced some challenges during tours. After a hiatus, they returned with Mechanical Bull in 2013, followed by Walls in 2016, which reached number one in the US. Their album When You See Yourself came out in 2021, and they experimented with new ways to release music using technology. In 2024, they released Can We Please Have Fun, marking a new chapter in their career.

Band members

Kings of Leon is an American rock band that began in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band has four members: brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill.

Their early music mixed Southern rock and garage rock with blues sounds. Over the years, they have added many different music styles and now play more alternative rock.

Discography

The band has released several albums. Some of their popular albums are:

• Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
• Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
• Because of the Times (2007)
• Only by the Night (2008)
• Come Around Sundown (2010)
• Mechanical Bull (2013)
• Walls (2016)
• When You See Yourself (2021)
• Can We Please Have Fun (2024)

Awards and nominations

Brit Awards

Grammy Awards

MTV Europe Music Awards

Kings of Leon got many awards from the MTV Europe Music Awards. In 2009, they were nominated for several prizes, including Best Rock, Best Group, Best Live, Best World Stage, and Best Song for "Use Somebody." Later, they won Best Rock in 2010, 2011, and 2013, and Best Alternative in 2016.

Sweden GAFFA Awards

The GAFFA Awards began in 2010 in Sweden. They celebrate popular music and are given by a magazine called GAFFA.

Tours

The band has traveled around the world to play their music for fans. These trips are called tours and include:

• Come Around Sundown World Tour (2010-2011)
• Mechanical Bull Tour (2014-2015)
• WALLS World Tour (2017)
• When You See Yourself Tour (2021)
• Can We Please Have Fun World Tour (2024)

In other media

In April 2011, a film called Talihina Sky about the band was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It was later shown in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland.

The band appeared in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and made a funny guest spot. They are also mentioned in songs by other musicians and have been part of special events like the 2021 NFL draft.