Kings of Leon - no moreheartbreak

Tue 28th Aug, 2007 in Features

Nathan Followill & Jaymz Clements ponder what’s because of the times

There’s always been something magical about the Kings Of Leon. From the time they broke with their debut, Youth & Young Manhood, the mythologising began. Sure, they’re the three sons – and their cousin – of a travelling preacher and they grew up in a household full of the songs they would come to personify and bring to a new generation, but at the same time, they were just a group of four young men thrust into the glare of global stardom. That suits Nathan Followill just fine.

“Yeah man,” the gangly drummer drawls, “I’m loving life at the moment. Here I am, sitting at home for the first time in ages having a bit of a, I guess, breather. It’s nice just to be doing nothing for once, you know? I mean, for the last week or so, all I’ve been doing is lying on my couch doing absolutely…Fucking…Nothing,” he says with a relaxed laugh.

It’s a well earned break that the last beardy Followill is enjoying. Since Youth and Young Manhood was released to such acclaim in 2003, the Kings Of Leon have enjoyed a run to the top unrivalled by no band other than possibly The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys. The Followill brothers have grown and matured substantially as a band on record, dropping the amazing sophomore effort Aha Shake Heartbreak, full of measured, slow-burn classics, before trumping it with this year’s Because Of The Times, a sparkling, rumbling monster.

“I guess, yeah, it has been pretty amazing,” Nathan says, deliberately understated. “I suppose that the way this band has, I guess, grown up in the spotlight has been pretty strange. I mean, there’s not too many bands who kick off when they’re as young as we were, and get to the point of releasing a third record. Along the way, yeah, we’ve had a blast. It’s the only way to do it,” he chuckles.

“I never thought I’d get to do some of the things we’ve been able to enjoy,” he continues, “but this band has opened doors most people wouldn’t even dream of being able to open. I thank my lucky stars everyday that we’re able to do what we do, and that people dig it. I mean, shit, it’s the rock – œn roll dream isn’t it?,” he poses delightedly.

Of course it fucking is! This is the band who’ve spent the past two years touring with acts the calibre of Bob Dylan, U2 and Pearl Jam. Moving from playing their own substantially-sized shows to playing stadia the world over has meant that the band have been able to hone their sound to suit those vast open spaces whilst also giving the band the impetuous to create a ballsy-ness that will keep them in the big leagues.

Followill is quick to point out that this is exactly what Because Of The Times is channelling. “Hell yeah,” he chuckles, “we were totally about that with the new record. Supporting bands like that, we’d be soundchecking to a massive open space, and we had to basically step up. That definitely seeped into the writing period again, and we’d find ourselves writing these songs that felt huge and ponderous to play, and we loved doing it. I mean, the way we recorded this was pretty relaxed and playing together felt really good, having Ethan (Johns, producer of the two previous KoL records) there, you know, it felt totally natural to take the band down that path. It’s darker, it’s bigger, and yeah, it’s stranger.”

“I mean,” he continues, stretching back on his couch, “we changed a lot between the first and second records, and then again between Aha, and this record. We’ve grown up a bit, I guess, and musically, we totally wanted to push ourselves, and try shit we hadn’t really tackled yet. We did that, and Because Of The Times, is just that, I reckon. It’s completely about the times we had making it, what we were going through; did I mention I love this record?,” he finishes with a long laugh.

As for the rest of the Kings Of Leon mythology – that the brothers and cousin are wild party animals as bedlam and women follow them everywhere – Nathan is happy to admit it’s all true. “Yeah, I guess it has been blown out of proportion a bit, but we do like to have a good time. I mean, what’s the point of all this, of bein’ in a band, of travelling the world, if you can’t have a few drinks with your best friends and really enjoy it. How does a King Of Leon woo a lady? Well, you gotta be smooth, but entirely respectful. It’s all about the charm.”

Thus, we can surmise, the flip-side of Because Of The Times’ tune, Charmer, detailing as it does the travails of fame and the ladies. It also shows that Because Of The Times is dealing with bigger issues than just the – œwoe-is-me’ heartbreak usually found on third albums. “It’s a tricky one, yeah,” Nathan intones in his southern burr, “but finding inspiration isn’t hard. Life itself is always tricky, no matter who you are, yeah? So, as long as you don’t bore yourself with tales of your life, and draggin’ all the stuff that’s happening to people and world around you, then there’s always going to be ample stimulation for writing.”

Which also means Nathan is happy to admit that writing for the next record is already underway. “Yeah, we’ve sort of gotten the ball rolling, and there’s songs already written. I don’t know why we seem so prolific, but I guess we just work together so well; we just love recording, and love doing what we do,” chortles the bespectacled one.

The most exciting news Nathan has received whilst lying on his couch – enjoying as he says “our first break in, like, forever, man,” is that Kings Of Leon will be spending New Year’s in Australia, even though the band are regular visitors to these shores. “Oh man, you can not believe how cool we think that is. We all love Australia, and yeah, that’s why we keep coming back. I mean, the weather, the food, the people – and yes, the ladies – it’s all perfect isn’t it? Spending New Years down there is going to be huge; it’s going to be one massive party, trust me.”

Kings of Leon are playing at Falls Festival and a number of sideshows,
click here for details