Kings of Leon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kings of Leon
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Kings of Leon in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Mount Juliet, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
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Kings of Leon is an American rock band that started in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is made up of three brothers, Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill, and their cousin, Matthew Followill.
Their early music mixed Southern rock and garage rock with some blues sounds. Over time, their music changed to include different music genres and became more like alternative rock. Kings of Leon first became popular in the United Kingdom. They had nine songs in the top 40 singles chart and won two BRIT Awards in 2008. All three of their albums at that time reached the top five in the UK. Their third album, Because of the Times, even reached number one.
After their album Only by the Night came out in September 2008, the band became very successful in the United States. Songs like "... on Fire", "Use Somebody", and "Notion" all reached number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. Only by the Night was their first album to sell over a million copies in the U.S. It was also the best-selling album in Australia in 2008. The band has won 4 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "Use Somebody" in 2010.
Contents
- Band History
- How the Band Started: Before 2002
- Getting Signed and First Music: 2002–2003
- First Albums and Growing Fame: 2003–2006
- Big Hits: Because of the Times and Only by the Night: 2006–2010
- New Music and a Break: 2010–2014
- Walls and More Success: 2016–2019
- Recent Albums: When You See Yourself and Can We Please Have Fun: 2020–Present
- Band Members
- Albums (Discography)
- Awards and Nominations
- Tours
- Kings of Leon in Other Media
- Images for kids
Band History
How the Band Started: Before 2002
The three Followill brothers and their cousin Matthew grew up in Oklahoma and Tennessee. Their father, Ivan Leon Followill, was a preacher. Their mother was Betty-Ann. Nathan was born in Oklahoma, and Caleb and Jared were born near Memphis, Tennessee. The boys were often home-schooled or went to small church schools. They spent much of their childhood traveling across the southern U.S. in a purple car. They would camp for a week or two wherever their father was scheduled to preach.
In 1997, their parents divorced. Nathan and Caleb moved near Nashville. They first liked country music. There, they met songwriter Angelo Petraglia. He helped them improve their songwriting. He also introduced them to bands like Thin Lizzy, the Rolling Stones, and the Clash. Jared was more interested in bands like the Pixies and the Velvet Underground. When Jared and Matthew moved to Nashville in 1999, Kings of Leon was formed. They named the band after their grandfather, Leon.
Getting Signed and First Music: 2002–2003
By 2002, many music labels were interested in Nathan and Caleb. They eventually signed with RCA Records. RCA first wanted to create a band just for the two of them. But Nathan told RCA, "We don't want to be just a duo. We're going to get our little brother a bass. Caleb will teach himself guitar. Matthew played guitar when he was 10, and I'll play the drums." Caleb later joked that they "kidnapped" their cousin Matthew from Mississippi to join the band. They told his mom he'd only stay a week, but he never went home!
The band's first music, an EP called Holy Roller Novocaine, came out on February 18, 2003. An EP is like a mini-album with fewer songs. At this time, Jared was only 16 and still learning to play the bass. Holy Roller Novocaine helped Kings of Leon get noticed. Rolling Stone magazine gave it a great review. Many songs from the EP were later put on their first full album, Youth and Young Manhood. Some songs from Holy Roller Novocaine were also used in the movie Stuck on You.
First Albums and Growing Fame: 2003–2006
The band's first album, Youth and Young Manhood, was released in the UK in July 2003 and in the U.S. in August. It was recorded in Los Angeles and Malibu, California. The album mixed Southern rock with gritty garage rock. It reminded some people of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Strokes. The album became very popular in the UK and Ireland. NME magazine called it "one of the best debut albums of the last 10 years." However, it didn't do as well in the U.S.
Their second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak, came out in the UK in October 2004 and in the U.S. in February 2005. This album helped the band reach more fans around the world. Songs like "The Bucket" became a hit in Britain. "Taper Jean Girl" was used in the movies Disturbia and Cloverfield. Kings of Leon also toured with famous bands like U2, Bob Dylan, and Pearl Jam in 2005 and 2006.
Big Hits: Because of the Times and Only by the Night: 2006–2010
The band's third album, Because of the Times, was released in April 2007. The song "On Call" was a hit in the UK and Ireland. The album quickly reached number one in the UK and Ireland album charts.
In 2008, Kings of Leon released their fourth album, Only by the Night. It went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart. In the U.S., the album reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart. This album was a huge success, especially in Australia, where it was the best-selling album of 2008. The song "... on Fire" was their most successful single. It reached number one in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
In 2009, they won Best International Band and Best International Album at the Brit Awards. They also performed "Use Somebody" live at the awards. Kings of Leon played at many big music festivals, including Glastonbury Music Festival in 2008 and Reading & Leeds in 2009.
On January 31, 2010, Kings of Leon won three Grammy Awards for "Use Somebody". These included Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best Rock Song.
New Music and a Break: 2010–2014
The band's fifth album, Come Around Sundown, was released in October 2010. It was recorded in Nashville and New York. After the album came out, the band went on a big tour. They visited over 50 cities in North America and Europe. However, in August 2011, they had to cancel the rest of their U.S. tour.
On October 31, 2011, the band announced they would take a break after their Australian tour. Nathan said the break wouldn't last longer than six months.
On August 22, 2012, Jared Followill released a song with Nick Brown from the band Mona. They called themselves Smoke & Jackal. Jared confirmed that Kings of Leon was still together and would record their sixth album soon. Their sixth album, Mechanical Bull, was released on September 24, 2013. The first song from the album was "Supersoaker". Another song, "Wait for Me", was released in the UK.
Walls and More Success: 2016–2019
After their New Year's Eve show in Nashville, Nathan Followill said the band planned to release their seventh album in 2016. Caleb said they enjoyed making new music. They decided to record the album in Los Angeles, hoping the new scenery would inspire them.
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In August 2016, the band announced the album would be called Walls. This name stands for We Are Like Love Songs. It was released on October 14, 2016. The first song from the album was "Waste a Moment". Walls became a number one album on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Only by the Night, the band released a special video. It showed behind-the-scenes footage of them recording the album. Later, for the 15th anniversary of Aha Shake Heartbreak, a song called "Where Nobody Knows" was made available online for the first time.
Recent Albums: When You See Yourself and Can We Please Have Fun: 2020–Present
On March 31, 2020, the band shared a live acoustic version of a new song, "Going Nowhere," on YouTube. This song was later renamed "Supermarket" and included on their eighth album, When You See Yourself. The album was released on March 5, 2021. On the same day, they released two main songs from the album: "The Bandit" and "100,000 People".
The band made history by selling their new album as a non-fungible token (NFT). An NFT is a special type of cryptocurrency that can hold unique things like music or art. They offered three different NFT packages called "NFT Yourself." These packages included special album versions, live show access, and audio-visual content. Their album was the first NFT to be shown at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Kings of Leon announced their ninth album, Can We Please Have Fun, on February 22, 2024. It was released on May 10, 2024. This was their first album with LoveTap Records and Capitol Records. The first song from the album, "Mustang", was released on the same day as the album announcement.
Band Members
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Current Members
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Touring Musicians
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Albums (Discography)
- 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
Kings of Leon have won many awards for their music. Here are some of them:
Brit Awards
They have won two Brit Awards:
- 2009: Best International Album for Only by the Night
- 2009: Best International Group
They have also been nominated for many other Brit Awards, including Best International Breakthrough Act, Best International Group, and Best International Album.
Grammy Awards
Kings of Leon have won four Grammy Awards:
- 2009: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "... on Fire"
- 2010: Record of the Year for "Use Somebody"
- 2010: Best Rock Song for "Use Somebody"
- 2010: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Use Somebody"
They have been nominated for many more Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album and Song of the Year.
MTV Europe Music Awards
Kings of Leon have won several MTV Europe Music Awards:
- 2009: Best Rock, Best Group, Best Live, Best World Stage, Best Song ("Use Somebody")
- 2010: Best Rock, Best Live
- 2011: Best Rock, Best World Stage
- 2013: Best Rock
- 2014: Best World Stage
- 2016: Best Alternative
Sweden GAFFA Awards
They have won two GAFFA Awards in Sweden:
- 2010: Best Foreign Band
- 2010: Best Foreign Album for Come Around Sundown
Tours
Kings of Leon have toured all over the world. Some of their major tours 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)
Kings of Leon in Other Media
In April 2011, a film called Talihina Sky was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. This movie was about the band members' lives. It was later released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill appeared in an episode of the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2011.
In 2016, the Northern Ireland national football team made it to the finals of the UEFA European Championships. After their first-ever goal and win at the tournament, the players were sometimes called ‘The Kings of Lyon’ in the media.
The singer Lana Del Rey mentions the band in her 2021 song "White Dress."
The cover of the Mechanical Bull album appears in the 2021 video game Life Is Strange: True Colors. Characters in the game also listen to the song "Don't Matter".
The band was chosen to play at the 2021 NFL Draft at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Images for kids
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Kings of Leon in 2017
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The band performing at the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim in 2007
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Kings of Leon in 2017
