Kings of Leon (formed 2000) are an American rock band, consisting of three brothers (Caleb, Nathan and Jared) and their cousin (Matthew), all of whom have the last name Followill, best known for their single 'Sex on Fire'.
Formation: Kings of Leon chose to name themselves after Caleb, Nathan and Jared's father and grandfather who were both named Leon. The brothers had spent their childhood traveling around the Southern states of the US because their father was a United Pentecostal Church preacher. The brothers moved to Nashville in 1998, before forming the band with their cousin in 2000.
Career: Kings of Leon signed to RCA Records, who put them under the guidance of Angelo Petraglia. The band had a grounded history in Country Music up until this point, and Petraglia began indroducing them to more rock 'n' roll oriented material. Kings of Leon released their 'Holy Roller Novocaine' EP on 18th February 2003. This was followed almost immediately by the 'What I Saw' EP, which was released on 26th May 2003.
Kings of Leon released their debut studio album, 'Youth & Young Manhood', on 7th July 2003, receiving rather high praise from critics. The album shot to the number three spot in the UK charts, although it failed to perform as well in the US. 'Aha Shake Heartbreak', Kings of Leon's second studio album, was released on 1st November 2004. The album received more consistent praise, yet failed to be recognised as much as their previous effort.
In June 2006, Kings of Leon released a limited edition EP entitled 'Day Old Belgian Blues', which was soon followed by their third studio album. 'Because of the Times' was released on 30th March 2007 in Australia (as the country had proved to provide the best sales for the band), before opening in the US and UK in early April. The album received glowing reviews from critics, and topped the charts in the UK, New Zealand and Ireland. Within a matter of days from releasing the album, the band were already working on their fourth studio album.
Kings of Leon released 'Only By the Night' on 19th September 2008. The album saw moderate success with mixed reviews from critics. The band's fifth studio album, 'Come Around Sundown', was released on 15th October 2010. The album debuted at the number one spot in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom's charts. It became the band's highest charting album in the US, with it reaching the number two spot on Billboard's 200 list. Despite this, the album received very mixed and moderate results, receiving an average score of around 3/5.
The band bounced back on 20th September 2013, with the release of 'Mechanical Bull'. The album received far more praise from critics, yet fared worse on the albums charts. It still topped the UK charts and came second on Billboard's 200, yet the number one spot was only reached in four countries, as opposed to eight with the previous album.
Biography by Contactmusic.com
