[radio.wazee] Modern Alternative Rock

Kings Of Leon
January 2004

The latest hot single from southern garage rockers Kings Of Leon is "California Waiting." It can be found on their 2003 full-length "Youth And Young Manhood" and it is featured in our radio.wazee Spotlight this week.

No-frills rock band Kings Of Leon was formed in 2000 by brothers Anthony Caleb Followill (born 1982, vocals/guitar), Ivan Nathan Followill (born 1980, drums), Michael Jared Followill (born 1986, bass) and their cousin, Cameron Matthew Followill (born 1984, lead guitar).

Their band name found its inspiration in the shared name of their father and paternal grandfather, Leon. The Followill brothers spent much of their early life moving around America's Heartland in states such as Oklahoma and Tennessee while accompanying their traveling Evangelist preacher father. The young brothers actually had their first musical experience playing in church during their father's services.

Says Jared of their childhood on the road: "It was a little weird. You had to make new friends every week."

Caleb adds that: "Growing up the way that we did, music was always there and present. And from that, we just started merging into different kinds of music."

At the end of the '90s, the brothers relocated to Nashville, recruited their cousin Matt, and started seriously concentrating on their music. The quartet's passionate adoption of the virtues of classic southern rock soon sparked much interest among major record labels, which backed the garage rock revival.

Kings Of Leon signed with RCA Records and made their debut in February 2003 with the "Holy Roller Novocaine" EP, which featured live favourites such as "Molly's Chambers" and "Wasted Time." The full-length "Youth And Young Manhood" was soon to follow.

Says Caleb of the band: "It's been moving fast and it's been changing fast. We're still a young band, and all this stuff freaks us out. We don't know why we're getting it, and we don't know why we deserve it, but we're glad. The fact that we're getting to play every night, we're not having to worry about where we're going to sleep or what we're going to eat, we're doing it!"