For a list of the monarchs of the Spanish kingdom of León, see List of Leonese monarchs.
Kings of Leon is a rock band made up of three brothers and a cousin, based in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, who play a cross between Southern rock and garage rock.
The band consists of: Nathan Followill (drums/cowbell/backup vocals) Caleb Followill (lead singer/rhythm guitar) Jared Followill (bass) Matthew Followill (lead guitar)
The group's name is derived from Nathan, Caleb, and Jared's father and grandfather, both named Leon. Jared and Caleb were born in Tennessee, while Nathan and Matthew were born in Oklahoma. The brothers spent much of their youth travelling around the American South with their father, a travelling Pentecostal preacher and their mother, who taught them when they were not in school. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "While Leon preached at churches and tent revivals throughout the Deep South, the boys attended services 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 in a purple 1988 Oldsmobile, decamping for a week or two wherever Leon was scheduled to preach."
Their parents divorced in 1997 and after various jobs, the brothers moved to Nashville in 1998. They formed a band in 2000 with their cousin Matthew. Their music is influenced by their religious upbringing and their Southern roots. They got their start with their album Youth and Young Manhood and rose to relative stardom, especially outside the United States, by being chosen by popular rock bands The Strokes and U2 to tour with them. Standout tracks include the lively "Molly's Chambers" and soulful "California Waiting". Their second album Aha Shake Heartbreak was released in the United Kingdom in October 2004 to widespread acclaim. The album was praised for its mix of garage rock and Southern swagger. "The Bucket", "Four Kicks", and "King of the Rodeo" have been released as singles thus far. Aha Shake Heartbreak was released on February 22, 2005 in the United States.
