BIO
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Kings of Leon, an American rock band, was formed in Tennessee in 2000. The lineup united three brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followills with their cousin Mathew. The boys spent their childhood constantly traveling with the father of the three, a wandering preacher. After he had parted with his holy orders, the young men, finally, settled down and made up their minds to form a music band. It was decided to play rock. The boys named it Kings of Leon after the name of their father and grandfather both named Leon. It took them a short while to master the instruments and release the debut Holy Roller Novocaine EP (2003). Four of its five tracks were later featured on the long player Youth & Young Manhood, produced the same year. The lyrics of the songs were based on the Holy Bible texts. Soon, Kings of Leon drew much attention. Critics liked their style, long hair and moustaches, dirty sound in the way of good old rock-n-roll, and sincerity of their music. The band was an exit to the past. The album was released in the UK and the USA at the same time, yet Englishmen welcomed it much warmer, than the countrymen of Kings of Leon did. Youth & Young Manhood debuted third in Britain with 83,000 copies distributed.
Kings of Leon seized the right moment and surfaced right when it was trendy to listen to and play pure rock once again. Apart from that, many were beckoned by the very story of Kings of Leon, the musicians who had been raised in a strict religious fashion, acquired no appropriate education, made their way from the back of beyond to the limelight, and persuaded the listeners to believe their art. The second album by Kings of Leon was produced in October 2004 under the title Aha Shake Heartbreak. It followed the direction taken by its predecessor. This album broadened the audience of the band in the USA and far beyond. The single The Bucket peaked Top 20 in Great Britain. Many music peers of Kings of Leon expressed praise to the success of the young and promising band. Among them were Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, with whom Kings of Leon toured actively in 2005 and 2006.
In March 2006, Kings of Leon returned to the studio to prepare the third album, Because of the Times. It was released in April 2007. This piece strengthened the band’s position in the modern music world granting them the title of one of the USA leading groups. Just like before, this album gained more success in Britain rather than in the motherland of Kings of Leon. The preceding single On Call was a hit in the UK. Because of the Times revealed the band’s deviation from what they had been doing before. They substituted the dirty garage sound for more mature and polished material. In February 2008, Kings of Leon started working o the fourth album, Only by the Night. One of its songs, Crawl, was made available for free downloading on the band’s website in July 2008. The very album entered the market in September the same year. The musicians had promised to make it heavier than anyone done before and kept their word. The newest release soared to the top of the British charts at once. The musicians revealed their plans about touring Ireland and Great Britain in December 2008 to promote Only by the Night.
Kings Of Leon
Notion (EP) (Incl. B-Sides And Live Tracks)
Only By The Night review
