Kings Of Leon Tickets : The Band Early Music Was An Blend Of Southern Rock And Blues Influences

Kings of Leon is an American rock band that formed in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee in 1999, consisting of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ivan Nathan Followill (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and Michael Jared Followill (bass, backing vocals), with their cousin Cameron Matthew Followill. Each member of the family group is known by his middle name (second given name) as opposed to his first given name.

The band's early music was an upbeat blend of Southern rock and blues influences, but it has gradually expanded its sound to include a variety of genres and a more alternative rock or arena rock sound.

Kings of Leon achieved initial success in the United Kingdom with nine Top 40 singles, two BRIT Awards in 2008, and all three of the band's albums at the time peaking in the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their third album Because of the Times also reached the #1 spot. After the release of Only by the Night in September 2008 they achieved chart success in their native United States.

The singles "Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody" and "Notion" all peaked at #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks.

The album itself was their first ever platinum-selling album in the United States. It was the best-selling album of 2008 in Australia, being certified nine-times Platinum. The band's fifth album, Come Around Sundown, was released on October 18, 2010.

Their first record, the Holy Roller Novocaine EP was released on February 18, 2003. At this stage, Jared was only 16 years old and had not yet learned to play the bass guitar. The release of Holy Roller Novocaine gave the Kings of Leon a significant amount of exposure prior to the release of their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood, receiving a 4/5 star rating from Rolling Stone magazine.

Four of the five songs would later be released on Youth and Young Manhood; however, the versions of "Wasted Time" and "California Waiting" on the EP differ, with the first having a more tense riff and different vocal style than the same track off Youth and Young Manhood and the latter being recorded in a rush to finish the record. The EP contains the B-side "Wicker Chair", while another track titled "Andrea" was discarded prior to its release. All the songs released on the EP were co-written by Angelo Petraglia who also produced the record.

Youth and Young Manhood was released in the UK in July 2003, and in the United States that August. The album was recorded between Sound City Studios in Los Angeles and Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California, with producer Ethan Johns. The album received some critical notice domestically, but became a sensation in the UK and Ireland, where NME declared it "one of the best debut album of the last 10 years". Following the release of the album, Kings of Leon was chosen to tour with The Strokes and U2.

The band's second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak, was released in the UK 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 album was again produced by Angelo Petraglia and Ethan Johns.

The Bucket, Four Kicks and "King of the Rodeo" were all released as singles, with "The Bucket" rising into the Top 20 in Britain. "Taper Jean Girl" was also used in the 2007 movie Disturbia and the movie Cloverfield in 2008. The band garnered accolades from several of their rock peers, including Elvis Costello, and also toured with Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam during 2005 and 2006.

In May 2010, Nathan Followill reported that the band had been recording in New York City since March 2010, and that, to their surprise, the tracks were coming out "chilled out", "beach-y" and more like their Youth and Young Manhood sound.They had previously said, prior to getting back to the studio, that they would be looking to record a "darker" and "grungier" album.

The band's fifth album is called Come Around Sundown and was released on October 18, 2010 in the UK, and October 19, 2010 in the U.S.It was recorded in Nashville as well as New York between February and June 2010 with Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King once more at the helm.

In June 2010, the band embarked on a tour visiting over 50 cities in North America and Europe. The tour dates ranged for 4 months, from June 5 to September 23.Following the release of Come Around Sundown in Australia, the band released all the tracks from the new album on their website.