This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The November 2010 issue of SPIN hits newsstands on October 26, and Kings of Leon (who released their new album Tuesday) are featured in the cover story. Here are excerpts from the SPIN interview: Drummer Nathan Followill on how the band focuses on their music and not the drama:"I won't name names, but a fellow headliner at a festival we played recently bad-mouthed us, and if that's all anyone is talking about the morning after your set, guess what: We win. We keep our mouths shut and do what we do, and we'll see their girlfriends backstage at our next show." Nathan on what some bands will do to get noticed:"Now it's cool to have 14 people in your band doing everything but contributing musically, running around with a helmet on your head, hitting it with a drumstick. You gotta look at what you're in this for: the love of music? The fame? You can have all that if you're smart and play your cards right and don't become a d—k." Bassist Jared Followill on turning criticism into fuel:"Is there anyone out there who says, 'I want to die, then have people discover my talent?' You didn't start a band to be mediocore. That's what I hate about hipsters. You're cooler than me, awesome, now f—k off." Frontman Caleb Followill on the early days:"I used to hold my own with everything, I did every drug you'd put in front of me, I was fearless – ready to fight the biggest man in the room. Now I had shoulder surgery because of a fight, and I'm sitting here drinking Chardonnay and eating a shrimp cocktail." Bassist Jared Followill on navigating success and failure:"I'll only read the negative stuff, I won't read the positive things, ever. I learn from them," he says. If you become popular, there's backlash, no matter what. What's the worst that can happen, people stop buying our albums? We'll go back to Nashville and make more albums. If this goes belly-up, I still have, like, 20 years to figure something else out."
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