Comprised of three brothers and a cousin, Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew Followill formed Kings of Leon in 2000. The band name is a tribute to the forename of the brothers' father and grandfather. Caleb, Nathan and Jared moved around frequently as children, as they accompanied their evangelist father to churches and ceremonies across the country. The trio moved to Nashville, TN in 1997 and immediately took to rock and roll, along with everything that comes with it.

After joining up with Matthew, the group released their debut EP, Holly Roller Novocaine, in 2003. The album featured a raw, danceable sound that the group would carry with them into their full-length debut Youth and Young Manhood. The freewheeling Kings looked like a blast from decades past, their long hair and mustaches rekindling memories of rock bands before their time. Their southern rock blended aspects of country music and rock and roll, with some hymnal qualities sprinkled in here and there.

But it was with the release of their follow-up effort, Aha Shake Heartbreak, that the Kings finally got holy rolling. The rousing record was a major hit in the U.K. in 2004, seeing three singles crack the charts, and was released in the United States the following year. Caleb's vocals set to a multitude of fast-paced guitar riffs invoked images of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Aha Shake garnered the band significant attention in the U.S. and earned the band a spot opening up for U2.

The Kings returned in 2006 with Because of the Times. The album departed from the stirring quality that exuded from Aha Shake with a much darker, thoughtful effort. It was the band's most commercially successful record, debuting at number 25 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and climbing to the top of the charts in the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand.