New: Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon is a band from Nashville, Tennessee formed in 2000 by the Followill brothers. Both their father (who was actually named Ivan) and grandfather went by the name "Leon," which is where the band gets its name. Since the band's 2003 debut, they have grown from an indie act to achieve international superstardom, particularly in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The band also experienced a huge growth in popularity in Canada and the United States on the heels of their 2008 album "Only by the Night." As of 2009, Kings of Leon have attained nine Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, including the number-one single "Sex on Fire."

Nathan, Caleb, and Jared Followill were born to Ivan Followill, a Pentecostal evangelist minister. Caleb and Jared were born in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, while Nathan and cousin Matthew were born in Oklahoma City. The brothers spent much of their youth traveling around the South with their father and their mother, Betty-Ann, who taught them when they were not in school. The boys learned to play drums and guitar as children while performing gospel songs in the church. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "While Ivan preached at churches and tent revivals throughout the Deep South, the boys attended 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, camping for a week or two wherever Ivan was scheduled to preach.

Nathan, the eldest of the brothers, graduated from Christian Life Academy in Henderson, TN. Caleb dropped out mid-Junior year to pursue a job in construction but later quit to work on music with his brother Nathan. Despite their religious background, they say their father would often play rock records in the car by musicians like the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and Bad Company while their mother was not around. After they signed with RCA in 2002, the boys invited their cousin, Matthew Followill, to join the band as the lead guitarist.

Kings of Leon's first release, "The Holy Roller Novocaine EP" came out in 2003. At this point, Jared was yet to pick up a bass. He bought himself one, locked himself in his room and taught himself bass. Ready to record the first album, he was only 16 at the time. Four of its five songs would later be released on "Youth and Young Manhood," with the songs "California Waiting" and "Wasted Time" being remade. The EP also contained the B-side "Wicker Chair."

Their debut album, "Youth and Young Manhood," was an average success, particularly outside the United States where they were dubbed one of the driving forces behind the so-called "new rock revolution" by the European press, most significantly in the United Kingdom. Their stakes rose when they were chosen by popular rock bands The Strokes and U2 to tour with them. According to Jared, the title of the album was taken from their father's Bible. All songs were again co-written by Petraglia, who also contributed guitar and co-produced the album with Ethan Johns. The songs "Molly's Chambers," "Red Morning Light," and "Holy Roller Novocaine" were used in various video games, movies, and TV advertisements. "Holy Roller Novocaine" was also used in the films "Stuck on You" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." In addition, it was featured on an episode of the popular television show "The Shield."

The band's second album "Aha Shake Heartbreak" was released in the United Kingdom in October 2004 and in the United States in February 2005. Building on the southern-infused garage rock of their first album, the album broadened the band's domestic and international audience. "The Bucket," "Four Kicks," and "King of the Rodeo" were all released as singles, with the "The Bucket" rising into the Top 20 in Britain. "Taper Jean Girl" was used in the 2007 movie "Disturbia" and the movie "Cloverfield." The band also garnered accolades from several of their rock peers, including Elvis Costello. The band toured with U2, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan for much of 2005 and 2006.

In March 2006, Kings of Leon were back in the studio, working on their third album. Guitarist Matthew Followill told NME: "Man, we're sitting on a bunch of songs right now that we wish we could let the world hear!" The band's third album was titled "Because of the Times." The album debuted at number one in Russia and Ireland and entered the Euro charts at No. 25, selling approximately 70,000 copies in its first week of release. The album was preceded by the single "On Call," which became a hit in Britain and Ireland. The album showed a clear evolution from the band's previous work, as the band's trademark dirty, southern-fried swagger was replaced with a more polished, clean-cut sound. Other singles from the album were "Fans" and "Charmer." The album was produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns.

After recording throughout most of 2008, "the all American long haired rockers" (The Times), released their fourth studio album "Only by the Night" on September 19, which on subsequently entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and remained there for 4 weeks, with sales of 1,524,185 copies, achieving 5 times platinum status. The album was released on September 23 in the USA and reached No. 5. The album was officially named as the UK's third biggest selling album of 2008 and the biggest selling album of 2008 in Australia.

Elton John paid tribute to them during a performance at the The O2 Arena (London) in December 2008, where they had played a matter of days beforehand, by saying, "Just a few days ago, an outstanding band of our time played here ... they go by the name of Kings of Leon."