Authors of Rock

Have you been a long time fan of the kings and want to prove to other reluctant fans that they haven’t “sold out?”

Talking to Tennessean, drummer Nathan Followill said “It’s our fourth record, and with every record you put out, the label and management say, ‘This is the one. This is the one that’s going to crack America,’ so each time we had one that didn’t, it wasn’t a letdown, you get used to it. But it was a little tough playing huge arena shows in the U.K. and Europe, and coming home and having to play smaller places. But man, this record [2008's Only the Night] kinda snuck up on us. You always hope for the best and expect the worst, so we’re pretty stoked. But now we’re realizing how much work you have to do if your record is actually popular.”

What type of promotion did they have?

Performance on Saturday Night Live, a cover on Spin Magazine and a documented New York visit thanks to Rolling Stone, the boys of Kings of Leon have finally found “the one” with Only the Night. The album, which appeared in September, debuted at the fourth spot on The Billboard 200 chart thanks to singles like “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody.” “This kind of feels like our honeymoon with American now,” Followill said. “Pop culture does play a big part in it. We’ve caught flack from fans saying we’ve sold out, we did this or that, but for such a long time, I think we were like their best kept secret.” And the cat has just been let out of the bag, so to say, as the Tennessee rockers, who tend to mix indie with classic Southern rock and blues, has since embraced their title as the Southern version of the Strokes to more audiences around the world.

For many bands, having an international audience is something to brag about, but after four albums and almost a decade together the brothers (made up of three Followill brothers and a Followill cousin) were ready to see headlines in their own country. When Caleb (guitar), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) and cousin Matthew (guitar) relocated to Nashville, they enjoyed their newfound freedom and took in years of musical genres they had previously been denied. RCA signed them in 2001 and since then the guys have released four full length albums, loads of EPs and toured North America and the UK with their inventive sound.

What’s your take on the Kings of Leon?

Tags: case study, indie music, Indie Music Promotion, rolling stones, sell music online

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