 Take Me To The Top
Kings of Leon 1999-2009
All in the Family: Last month's cover of Rolling Stone featured Kings
of Leon, the southern-born indie rock quartet of 3 brothers and a
cousin. How did they get there? Unlike some of their top-bill
musical peers, the Kings didn't get there by way of American Idol or
flash-in-the-pan reality TV shows....read on for the anatomy of an
indie band's transformation to mainstream..
Beginning 1999- 2003: Inception to first studio album...
The Fallowills' (brothers Nathan and Caleb) officially formed around
'99-'00, after 3 years of playing instruments on stage at outdoor
gatherings while traveling with their preacher father. They began an
indie-country duo, playing at open mics and small clubs around
Nashville. It wasn't until the end of 2002, after 3 more years of
writing & rehearsing songs and performing at tiny songwriting cafes,
the two brothers finally caught the attention of an A&R exec at RCA.
The brothers quickly added their younger brother Jared and cousin
Matthew to form the band's current lineup, and began recording their
first EP, "Holy Roller Novacaine".
First Success: 2003-2007: Major label, festival touring, openers
for major acts....
The band signed with RCA records in Nashville in 2003. Instant
success, right? Not quite. Although the band did pick up a fan base
in Europe, which eventually led to a 3rd bill opening act for The
Strokes tour, the Kings remained largely unknown back home. The first
studio album, "Youth and Young Manhood", sold fewer than 75,000 copies
that yr, a piddling amount for a major label that equates to less than
19K per band member.
For the next 3 yrs, the band toured relentlessly - not only in Europe,
where their albums gradually climbed the UK charts, but on the U.S
festival tour, including Bonnaroo, Coachella and Austin City Limits.
During this time the band recorded and released two more albums -
2004's "Aha Shake Heartbreak" and 2006's "Because of the Times".
Gradually, their successes started piling up. Their singles began
charting on college & satellite radio, placed in TV/Film shows and
(not a guarantee, even from major label acts), and the band appeared
on The Tonight Show and Late Show with David Letterman.
At this point in their careers, it could be argued that Kings of Leon
had already reached a level of success that any band should be content
with. Most bands would be happy with 10,000 albums sold and a tour
that doesn't lose money, let alone appearances on tv shows and touring
with the likes of Bob Dylan and U2. However, the band had been
touring & performing over 300 days a year for 6 straight years, yet
most people had still never heard of Kings of Leon. A smash hit
single was still eluding them..
Into the Fire: 2008 - present: Sex, Band on Fire...
By September 2008, the Kings' 4th album "Only by the Night" and hit
single "Sex on Fire" along with "Use Somebody" catapulted the band
into pop culture phenom status, with major radio airplay and media
coverage. No longer were they an opening or festival act. In January
2009, Kings of Leon sold out Madison Square Garden and not long after
that, they appeared on Rolling Stones' cover, dubbed "America's
Hottest Band". Now, with the luxury of a solid fan base built up from
6 years of touring, 4 studio albums and a number of hits, the Kings
can enjoy their success, take a break from non-stop touring, and
ponder their next move...
About this series: Every month MusicSUBMIT will profile a music
group that took the long road to fame. The purpose of the articles is
to highlight early band struggles, challenges, and the gradual pace of
a growing fan base on the path to success..
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