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Kings of Leon

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Kings of Leon consists of the brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill. Their father, Ivan Leon Followill, was a preacher in the United Pentecostal Church. For years the family travelled through the southern United States, where he preached in churches and tents. The band was formed in 1999 in Mount Juliet, near Nashville in Tennessee. The name refers to their grandfather Leon.

Music and breakthrough

In 2002 Nathan and Caleb signed with RCA. The debut Youth & Young Manhood (2003) had a raw sound, with southern rock and garage rock. It caught on in England and Ireland, but not in America: there 100,000 copies were sold, against some 750,000 abroad. The breakthrough at home came with Only by the Night (2008). The album reached number 1 in England, number 4 in America and was the best-selling album of 2008 in Australia. Sex on Fire reached number 1 in England, Ireland and Australia. Use Somebody won three Grammys in 2010, including Record of the Year.

Influence

Kings of Leon began in the line of the southern rock of bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd. The success of Sex on Fire showed that a guitar band could still top the charts in 2008, at a time when pop and hip hop set the tone. A year later Mumford & Sons brought folk to the same arena scale.

Listening

Listening tip. The working title of Sex on Fire was Set Us on Fire; only after a joke by a sound engineer did the current title stick. Notice the high tempo, well over 150 beats per minute, and Caleb Followill's hoarse voice, which has to rise above the guitars.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Mentioned in other articles

See also

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (en): Kings of Leon
  2. Wikipedia (en): Sex on Fire
Categories: ArtistsSouthern rock