Kings Of Leon

Members: Nathan Followill, Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill

Active: 2000 - present

Kings of Leon is an acclaimed rock band made up of three brothers and a cousin, based in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, who play a cross between Southern rock and classic blues.

The group's name is derived from Nathan, Caleb, and Jared's father and grandfather, both named Leon. Jared and Caleb were born in Tennessee, while Nathan and Matthew were born in Oklahoma. The brothers spent much of their youth travelling around the American South with their father, a travelling Pentecostal preacher and their mother, who taught them when they were not in school. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "While Leon preached at churches and tent revivals throughout the Deep South, the boys attended services 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 in a purple 1988 Oldsmobile, decamping for a week or two wherever Leon was scheduled to preach."

Their parents divorced in 1997 and after various jobs, the brothers moved to Nashville in 1998. They formed a band in 2000 with their cousin Matthew. Their music is influenced by their religious upbringing and their Southern roots.

First album. They got their start with their album Youth and Young Manhood and rose to relative stardom, especially outside the United States, by being chosen by popular rock bands The Strokes and U2 to tour with them. Standout tracks included the lively "Molly's Chambers" - a title taken from a line in Thin Lizzy's Whiskey In The Jar - and soulful "California Waiting", and "Red Morning Light" was used as the opening song for the videogame FIFA 2004.

Second album. Their second album Aha Shake Heartbreak was released in the United Kingdom in October 2004 to widespread acclaim. The album was praised for its mix of garage rock and Southern swagger. "The Bucket", "Four Kicks", and "King of the Rodeo" have been released as singles thus far. Aha Shake Heartbreak was released on February 22, 2005 in the United States.

Third album (under construction). As of March 2006, it was announced by NME that Kings Of Leon was back in the studio, working on their third album. Drummer Nathan Followill told NME.COM: "Man, we're sitting on a bunch of songs right now that we wish we could let the world hear!" At present there are at least seven songs completely written and ready to record, with a similar number of works in progress. A number of sources have reported that the upcoming album will be titled "Because of the Times"

ALBUMS AND EP'S

2002 - Holy Roller Novocaine EP

2003 - Youth and Young Manhood

2004 - Aha Shake Heartbreak

SINGLES

2003 - "What I Saw"

2003 - "Molly's Chambers" Youth and Young Manhood

2003 - "Red Morning Light " Youth and Young Manhood

2003 - "Wasted Time" Youth and Young Manhood

2003 - "California Waiting" -Youth and Young Manhood

2004 - "The Bucket" Aha Shake Heartbreak

2004 - "Four Kicks" Aha Shake Heartbreak

2005 - "King of the Rodeo" Aha