0 Petraglia The band Neon Leon built basi- Kings of Leon spent early I’ve got kids at home. We’ve got to at home. We’ve got kids I’ve startreally working.’” up in 2012, the ground cally from converting what was previously thought we “We a paint factory. wanted we it,built it like but [the ended up beingreception the area] the ampsbest-sounding to room for get separation,” with a Nathan says moved the whole living “We laugh. spaceroom into and the rehearsal ended up spending of the time 90% hanging out,in there because we cuttingwere in here.” the songsSeptember on playing Mechanical in Neon Leon, Bull live concert the up for them working tostage. hard find a song that “It’s going toisn’t be set,” in the live Ca- a got to either have leb says. “We’ve going to to have setlonger or we’re cut some of our hits.” —RW Mechanical Bull, the first Petraglia, the “fifth King,” initiallyPetraglia, King,” the “fifth he produces says “from Petraglia all these work through “I went studio in their own had Working The Kings of Leon soundscape significantly during has evolved the course of six albums, enough diferent so seem like that it would had helmedproducers the knobs with each outing. while the But shifted,sonics the producer have has been consistent: Angelo Petraglia, credited as “Angelo,” records, has produced all six KOL including album the band has at its recorded new Neon Leon studio in Nashville. came onboard as a songwriting moving into the collaborator, debut with 2003’s chair producer’s Manhood, & Young album, Youth created a It’s leaving. and never trust factor between band and one of those things “It’s producer. can you takewhere hands your still you’re of the wheel and know going in the right direction,” Caleb ‘All can say, says. “We Followill that,’ try and this, let’s try right, let’s a no-brainer.” it’s like instantly it’s perspective,” jam- a songwriter’s ming with the band in the early creation. He stagesan album’s of also to listens exhaustively band he discovered is how demos, which a midtempo ballad “Beautiful War,” that is a Mechanical Bull highlight. tapes, this little and I heard bit of he recalls. explains a song,” Caleb written the it was something he’d as “Use Somebody.” same day it and it through worked “We song recorded,” we was the first says. Petraglia has its and cons. pros On the plus to have watch theside, didn’t they us, be- for clock. was great “Which didn’t and we cause could we relax on ourselves,” put a ton of pressure says. “But bassist Followill Jared it also came close to backfiring, because come would in and we and Angelo all day, basketball play come guys, on. ‘Jesus, bewould like, Kings of Leon have worked with one with worked Leon have Kings of helped who’s Angelo Petraglia, producer, album and new sound shape their The Fifth King The Fifth

Nathan adds that the band’s foundation is solid, and built to last. “We’re family—you can’t break up a family, so up a family, break can’t family—you last. is solid, to built “We’re and foundation the band’s that adds Nathan un- doesn’t with being, of wife terms of to Leon. Kings Leon still coming Kings well, are “My In some ways, As Kings of Leon embark on their second decade and sixth album, it’s that longevity that fnds them well on them well fnds that longevity that album, it’s sixth and of on their second Leon decade As Kings embark “And you’re wearing a Kings of Leon T-shirt,” Nathan adds, and both laugh. Like brothers. brothers. and both Like laugh. adds, Nathan of Leon a Kings T-shirt,” wearing you’re “And the way to being the “boxed set band” they’ve always strived to be. “A lot of bands don’t get a chance to make to a chance get of don’t lot bands be. “A to strived they’ve being always to band” the “boxed set the way Nathan category,” a diferent to catapulted automatically we’re six, so alone by default let nowadays, records two we want to be to day.” set on one a boxed putting out want we and still be this long relevant.” for around stick to been able we’ve that the fact for grateful at. We’re we’re where here break a little take to the right earned we’ve “Hopefully, says. Nathan a while,” be for to around going we’re a bunch taken picture kind of had your a certain look. You’ve have do you know, you ‘Well, She says, am?’ I who says. “No one can take away the fact that we’ve made six records, toured our asses of and worked really hard to get get to hard really our asses of worked and toured records, six made we’ve that the fact away take one can “No says. or there and not beor there doomed.” they know do how ‘Wow, like, “I’m says. Caleb shocked,” time somebody me I’m any recognizes why derstand of times.” a band that can sell 2 or 3 million albums worldwide. There is a really prideful relationship here. This is a band that is a band that This here. relationship prideful is a really There worldwide. sell albums 2 or 3 million can that a band WorldMags.netWorldMags.net WorldMags.net But selling records is, after all, the the all, after is, selling records But The viral comedy of comedy the ArmisenThe viral by Scott Clayton at Creative Artists Creative at by Scott Clayton plays. Next year, the group, booked booked the group, year, Next plays. task at hand. The rest of the band’s of the band’s hand. The rest at task to shed a diferent light on the Kings light on the Kings a diferent shed to the cast of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Phila- Sunny Always ofthe cast ‘It’s record label ploy to sell to records.” ploy label record says. Asked what was the biggest mis- the biggest was what Asked says. year will be spent doing international will be spent international year doing ously as people think we do,” Nathan Nathan ously as people do,” think we of Leon, stars. other than tortured rock delphia,’ which went viral.” went which delphia,’ do that, Jimmy Fallon helped that, do Fallon that,do Jimmy album promotion with scattered live live scattered with promotion album and “Sunny” promotions was geared and “Sunny” geared was promotions as did a really funny album trailer with trailer album funny as did a really conception about this band, he replies, this band, he replies, about conception “That we’re all related. That was just was a That all related. “That we’re “We don’t take ourselves nearly as seri- nearly ourselves take don’t “We Live Nation, frequent promoter of the band’s of the band’s frequent promoter Nation, Live believes in the group, enough to write checks and take checks write to enough in the group, believes promoter risk. That means not only playing the big- not only playing means That risk. promoter in 2014, followed by trips to the United Kingdom, in 2014, Kingdom, the United to by trips followed the act has found establishing a consistent foothold a consistent establishing the act has found shows during the course of its career, still very much still very of the course its career, during shows gest rooms internationally, but also stateside, where where but also stateside, rooms internationally, gest Europe, Australia and other territories. Australia Europe, at the arena level challenging. “There’s no doubt that no doubt “There’s challenging. level the arena at cluding the big buildings in the United States early early States in the United the big buildings cluding Agency, will tour extensively around the world, in- the world, around extensively will tour Agency, Part of the Unstaged event featured a series of webi- featured event Part of the Unstaged RCA has pulled out all the stops in a setup that Corson pulled in a setup that has the stops RCA out all turing “Saturday Night Live”/ “Portlandia” star Fred Ar- star Fred “Portlandia” Night Live”/ “Saturday turing time on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” and on Aug. 6, 6, Aug. and on Fallon,” With Night Jimmy time on “Late pre-or- and album on Vevo premiered video the song’s this record? Absolutely.” this record? with more than 900,000 views live and on demand. live views 900,000 than with more sodes rifng on the group’s image, directed by and fea- directed image, sodes the group’s on rifng people hadn’t of a side KOL show to wanted misen. “We mediately becoming the most-added track at alternative alternative at track becoming the most-added mediately On iTunes. to going simultaneous with the single radio), seen,” Pirovano says. “The webisodes with Fred helped “The with Fred webisodes says. Pirovano seen,” says was one of the most successful in the series’ history one of was successful the most in the series’ says single in the United Kingdom and United States (im- States and United Kingdom in the United single says includes a wealth of “touch points and tent poles.” of “touch points poles.” a wealth and tent includes says said, do they have songs that can work multiformat on multiformat work can that songs they have do said, ders began. The frst “huge look,” RCA VP of marketing VP of RCA marketing look,” “huge began. frst The ders Pirovano which 9, series on Aug. of Unstaged the AmEx dience, for the most part, buys full records. That being the most part, That for fulldience, records. buys Nick Pirovano says, was the band’s performance as part the band’s was says, Pirovano Nick July 22July the band performed “Supersoaker” the frst for The campaign launched July 17 with an e-blast of 17 the July with an e-blast launched The campaign “I just had a bad day, I guess.” McElrath is confdent that the way the last U.S. tour ended will not have a negative a negative will not have ended tour U.S. the last the way that is confdent McElrath Corson says RCA has a “deep and personal commitment” to the band, “and on a the band, “and to and personal commitment” has a “deep RCA Corson says A month in, Pirovano says pre-orders are “very strong” and include an instant and include strong” “very pre-orders are A month in, says Pirovano “We believe that when consumers hear this album there will be a groundswell be- will be there a groundswell this album hear consumers when that believe “We hind it,” Corson says. “We want this album to play over the next 12 the next 18 over even months, to play to this album want “We Corson says. hind it,” has sold 63,000 downloads. “The single is a rock single—it’s not a crossover single,” single,” a crossover not single—it’s is a rock “The single downloads. has sold 63,000 before an album stream on iTunes began Sept. 16. Week of release, the band has of release, Sept. began on iTunes stream Week an album before 16. business level, they are a priority for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is they’re of of not the least which a lot for reasons, a priority they are level, business best, performing their music live,” he says, adding that the act’s absence from the from absence the act’s that adding he says, best, performing live,” their music planned a network TV hat-trick: a Times Square performance for ABC’s “Good “Good Square performance a Times ABC’s for TV hat-trick: a network planned impact on the group’s next U.S. run. “Fans want to see the band doing what they do see to what want the band doing run. “Fans U.S. next impact on the group’s this year. “Fans are going nuts. You can defnitely see it as soon defnitely can onstage.” as they walk You nuts. going are “Fans this year. two, but the main thing is they’ve delivered a fabulous album for their fans.” for album a fabulous but the main thing is they’vetwo, delivered they have established themselves as a strong arena and amphitheater headliner,” headliner,” and amphitheater arena as a strong themselves established they have ward to continuing that relationship.” that continuing to ward market creates demand that has been apparent at the band’s few U.S. appearances appearances U.S. few the band’s has been at that apparent demand creates market rock band frst and foremost; they’re not a pop rock band. They have had some pop They have band. not a pop they’re rock and foremost; frst band rock Does a record. make they when for going they’re not what but that’s success, radio says Ryan McElrath, senior VP of domestic touring for Live Nation. “We look for- “We Nation. Live senior for VP of touring domestic McElrath, Ryan says download of the album’s “Wait for Me,” which means three songs were out there out there were songs three means which Me,” for “Wait of the album’s download on expectations. It’s top 10 on Billboard’s Rock, Alternative and Triple A charts, and and Triple Alternative Rock, 10 on Billboard’s top It’s on expectations. Morning America,” followed by another appearance on NBC’s “Fallon” on Sept. 24 “Fallon” on NBC’s by another appearance followed America,” Morning and CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” on Sept. Letterman” 26. With David Show “Late and CBS’ and as a rock record, it’s undeniable. We’re hoping that it will cross over a track or a track over cross it will hoping that We’re undeniable. it’s record, and as a rock a Foo Fighters single blow up? Does a U2 single blow up? No, they don’t. Their au- they don’t. No, up? blow Does single a U2 up? blow single Fighters a Foo Levitan says, adding that no one on Team KOL is panicking. “Far from it. from a They’re panicking. “Far is KOL Team one on no that adding Levitan says, First single “Supersoaker” ofering, a solid is single spectacular but not First depending debut

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