Kings Of Leon’s Caleb Followill “completely fulfilled” by new album ‘Can We Please Have Fun’

29 February, 2024

ared Followill, Matthew Followill, Caleb Followill and Nathan Followill of The Kings of Leon visit SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on February 27, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Kings Of Leon‘s Caleb Followill has revealed that he feels “completely fulfilled” by the band’s forthcoming album ‘Can We Please Have Fun’.

While appearing on The Evening Show with Dan O’Connell on Radio X, the band took the time to discuss their upcoming album  ‘Can We Please Have Fun’ (pre-order/pre-save here), last week. The LP will serve as the follow-up to 2021’s ‘When You See Yourself’.

After being asked about the album title by O’Connell, who shared that the title “sounds like a statement of intent rather than a question. Is that about right?,” the band’s frontman Caleb responded with: “Whenever the title came about there was, like, this conversation happening between the people that work with us and the people at the label and stuff. And they were like, ‘is it like a question, is it an exclamation mark, what is it? And for me, I didn’t really know, it was really just a frustrating request.”

He continued: “You know, ‘can we please have fun?’ And I meant that, like, as in can we enjoy this process and not overthink it and just get back to going in there and making music that made us happy, and never consider the outcome, you know? Let’s not think about what we’ve done in the past that was successful – or what we’ve done in the past that wasn’t successful – let’s just think about right here, right now. What makes you excited? And that is what we did. We went in there, and to the point of the end of the album, we just like, ‘man, we still have more.’

“We just wanted to keep going, it was like we just kept beating out the stuff and every song just kept getting better and the song would just get ticked off the list. But in the process, we did have fun. I know people… That word, you know, people are really latching on to ‘fun’ and it has been a positive thing. Like, all of the press that we’ve done and everything that’s been like a little bit of a lightness to it that you don’t get when you have, like, an album title with seriousness hanging over it.”

He concluded with: “But yeah, we went in there and it was a very selfish album for us; it was like, ‘this is only for us.’ We didn’t have a label at the time, we were free agents, if it failed it was on us; if it was successful, it was on us. Luckily, after we were finished, then we did get a record deal. And then it was like, ‘well, jeez.’ I’m glad it wasn’t one of those records that they came in and were like, ‘alright, now I need you to write some hits.’”

In a new statement about the band’s ninth album, Caleb shared: “It was the most enjoyable record I’ve ever been a part of,” while bandmate Nathan Followill agreed, adding: “It’s like we allowed ourselves to be musically vulnerable… I love it when a rock band is not embarrassed to admit that every song doesn’t have to be on 11.”

As teased in a press release, the will see Kings Of Leon “unified in vision and purpose, freed from stress, and basking in an atmosphere of positivity”.

The band first teased news of their new single ‘Mustang’ during their first live show of 2024 in Mexico last month, hinting to fans that new material was on the way.

The songs on the new album were written during the process of them transitioning between labels, meaning there was less pressure to deliver new material.

Recorded at Dark Horse Studio, ‘Can We Please Have Fun’ was produced with new collaborator Kid Harpoon, and sees Caleb Followill and co. return to their gritty origins, while all the while pushing their sound into new territory.

In other news, Kings Of Leon recently played ‘Mustang’ while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 

They are also set to kick off a massive world tour later this year. Visit here for more information and visit here to buy tickets.

 

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