Kings Of Leon A snowy day in Toronto seems about as far away from Tennessee as you can get, so it’s no wonder that the four Kings Of Leon are a little out of sorts.
The Followill brothers and cousin obviously aren’t in high spirits. Drummer Nathan is mostly silent as he strides around the room, occasionally taking vitamin C drops. Lead singer Caleb sullenly complains that their Canadian press has all been “bullshit.” Guitarist Matthew is rarely seen at all. Fortunately, bassist Jared is friendly and polite on what seems to have been a long day for the band.
“It’s always a long day,” he sighs, lighting a cigarette.
The days are about to get longer for Kings Of Leon. Since the recent release of their sophomore album, Aha Shake Heartbreak, the critical and commercial attention has been non-stop. And amongst their biggest supporters have been none other than U2, who picked Kings Of Leon to open for their massive spring tour of the United States.
Given that the dates for U2 are already long sold out, how will that band’s huge audiences react to Kings Of Leon’s bluesy Southern rock? Jared admits that he’s got no clue.
“I’ve never been to any of their shows, so it’s really hard for me to gauge,” he says. “I hope it’s not a bunch of college jock guys who are going to be throwing beers at us. I’ve heard it ranges from kids to 50-year-old moms – which is cool, I don’t mind 50-year-old moms. That can be kinda fun because they like to dance.”
As for gathering their own audiences, the Followills are off on a tour of the U.K. in June, where Jared figures the crowds will be more diverse.
“We have a really wide range of fans,” he says. “If it’s an all-ages show, there’ll be indie kids who are like 13 all the way up to guys who are like 40. When it comes to girls, they’re about 18 to 25; when it comes to guys, it’s 18 to 40. You’ll see the older guys there along with the younger guys, and with the girls, it’s mostly ones our age.”
Ah, the girls. The Followills’ penchant for having cute young things backstage has become somewhat legendary in the press, along with their love for alcohol and a joint or two. Not exactly Biblically approved vices.
To this, Jared shrugs indifferently then smiles.
“I’m a lot more private than the other guys, so I’d rather not talk about that stuff just for that reason,” he says. “It’s kind of awkward to think of your parents reading about it, so I just blame it all on the others. If there’s anything to be said, they fucking say it.”
Kings Of Leon open for U2 in Vancouver on April 28 and 29.