Jared Followil (photo: © live4ever)
Kings Of Leon bass player Jared Followill has taken a dig at his older brother Caleb’s songwriting, and while guitarist Matthew also revealed he has to visit his brother to collect his royalties.
Speaking in today’s Daily Star newspaper, Jared said: “Caleb was really weird when we started. Everything that I thought was quite charming about us, he wanted to lie about. For me it’s hard having an opinion on this band, if I wasn’t involved I can’t imagine liking us a lot, just because I only control 25% of it.”
“We started seriously writing the songs when we got back home from tour. I got a call from Caleb going: ‘I’m sitting here writing the next album by myself.’ And we’re like: ‘Oh no, you’re not.’ We ended up going to his house so that when the record comes out he can’t go: ‘Dude, I’m getting 70% of this shit.’”
Cousin and lead guitarist Matthew added: “We basically go to his house for the royalties.”
Kings Of Leon have often been the subject of stories of inter-band squabbling and have found their antics played out in the papers more frequently as the band found mainstream success after the release of ‘Only By The Night’.
Later, Jared and Matthew also revealed they are keen to get back to the sound which defined their earlier albums, and appeared to echo some of the recent criticism aimed at the group since the release of their hit album ‘Only By The Night‘. “In every song there’s something I wish I could change,” Jared said. “Each one of us are like that, though. We’re definitely missing the rawness that we had when we started.”
“I’d like to start getting back to the storytelling aspect of songwriting,” Matthew continued. “Songs like ‘Trani‘ and ‘Joe’s Head‘ (from debut album ‘Youth & Young Manhood’) were full of great stories. Although, let’s keep it about things that are deep and meaningful like sexually transmitted diseases and sex.”
The band are set for a long break after extensive touring of ‘Only By The Night’, which concluded in the UK with a triumphant headline spot at the Leeds Festival.
Um, hello? The band isn’t home from tour yet. I don’t see how Caleb could be “sitting home” when the band is still out on the road. Nice try, but no.
Jared is referring to when Caleb was ‘sat at home’ writing for ‘Only By The Night’.
All of the other blogs and sites that have picked up this story (contactmusic, gigwise, etc.) have specifically stated that Jared was talking about the 5th record. Did you guys just edit out that part?
@LOLKAT
I believe the writer is highlighting the tension in the band, perhaps album #5 has nothing to do in his approach about wriiting on the band memeber’s relationships?
I agree! They SUCK!