Kings of Leon are ready to return to the stage after being on hiatus since 2011. The group is planning for a big return when they release their sixth studio album in September.
KOL went on hiatus midway through a show in Dallas back in 2011 when frontman Caleb Followill suddenly left the stage for 40 minutes, never to return and resulting in 26 U.S. dates to be cancelled. Followill later commented that his departure in Dallas was due to health concerns and that he couldn’t sing. Now the band is back and ready to release their sixth studio album, Mechanical Bull, on September 24th.
Frontman Caleb admitted “we were exhausted,” and that the band needed a break. Adding, “it was a good time for me to reflect.” During that downtime Followill was able to work on new songs for Mechanical Bull, an experimental album that takes the band in a new direction.
“It ended up being a lot more young and fun-sounding than the other albums. We’re not so serious this time,” Followill told Reuters about Mechanical Bull.
KOL says they have some new tunes on the new album that are fast paced and challenging, but also included some tracks that bring a steel guitar and a quartet into the mix.
The Nashville clan will be back under the spotlight in September when they make an appearance at Music City Eats, a music-food festival, where they will be hosting Petty Fest “a night to celebrate the music of Tom Petty.” While the band is the official headliner, they will be joined on stage by Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Jakob Dylan and the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney and many more.
