Little Interview with Matthew

[izzy]

This is a small Edinburgh magazine, very random and not massively interesting, but it's Matthew which is rare and it gives a shout out to Scottish crowds - Yeah!!

For everyone going to T this weekend - have an ace time!

[Lihllvmch]

Woohoo! Thank you for sharing that izzy.
I'm sorry for asking but do you have a large version of the scan? Hehe I can't read some parts of that :/

[izzy]

Ye, it's small eh? My image wasn't that small - I'll see what i can do.

[Lihllvmch]

Here I got it small, but don't worry about me hehe I already readed that. Thanks again! Karma

Edit: It's the size I'm able to read - img68.imageshack.us/img68/1562/kingsofleonbf1.jpg

[izzy]

Thanks honey! For anyone that can't, here it is! I can't concentrate on my work and i type fast!!

This band loves a bit of rock ‘n’ roll behaviour. When they first hit these shores a few years back, Kings of Leon (consisting of three Followill Brothers and a cousin from Tennessee) embarked on a nationwide booze cruise which saw them feature heavily in the tabloids and gossip columns, often with a pre-Doherty Kate Moss in tow. Back in the States, the band has a lower profile, but has still been linked with the likes of Paris Hilton.

This year, despite being a few years older and having three acclaimed and bestselling albums under their belts, they don’t look like calming down much. A tour of the UK earlier this year to promote the third album, ‘Because of the Times’, led to singer Caleb Followill being photographed by paparazzi in various stages of drunkenness with his latest squeeze, Kimberly Stewart, daughter of Rod, underwear model and favourite of the celeb mags.

You can’t blame the Kings of Leon for living the dream. The three brothers spent their childhood travelling around the Deep South while their father Leon worked as a Pentecostal preacher. Not allowed to listen to rock ’n’ roll, they quickly rebelled when they were old enough, left home, formed a band together and have been living the lifestyle to the max ever since.

“It’s funny to read, it makes us laugh,” says guitarist Matthew Followill, the cousin of the band, about the UK tabloids’ interest in their antics. “To pick up a gossip magazine and see one of us in there somewhere, it’s kinda ridiculous. And the stuff they write is for children or something, it’s always about dumb things, like hanging out at bars or something. It’s pointless.”

As well as their celebrity friends and fans, the media’s interest in them has no doubt increased with the success of Because of the Times. Their first album to go to number one, it’s a consummate expansion of their rootsy rock beginnings and has taken the band to a new level of success. The corresponding live shows have been chaotic, with rabid fans breaking down barriers and causing hysterical scenes wherever they go.

“I’m not sure why it’s been crazier lately, maybe just because people are really getting the new record,” says Matthew. “They have been people starting fights and going crazy at shows, especially the Scottish shows which are great; they’re some of my favourites.”

This summer the band pitches up at T in the Park, a perfect festival for their brand of high-octane, traditional, blues-soaked country rock.

“We can’t wait, it’s gonna be awesome,” says Matthew. “Hopefully the Scottish fans will be as crazy at the festival as they are at our own shows.”

Despite their reputation as skinny-trousered, long-haired hellraisers, the band has recently developed a surprisingly unrock ‘n’ roll pastime, namely golf. Matthew becomes really animated when I mention the sport.

“We played yesterday, man, yeah,” he says, “The other guys have been playing for about three years and now I’ve started. I’ve bought some clubs and we play every single day off and sometime the day of the show as well. We play a thing called scramble, you know what that is? We can’t wait to get over to Scotland, and maybe play St Andrews or something; I know we’ll play golf in Scotland for sure.”


Enjoy!!

[lewisd]

Wow thanks for that. Wish i could see them at t in the park but at least ill get to see them in glasgow in december.