Kings Of Leon on #MeToo in music: “This shit doesn’t fly anymore. And it never should have”

Kings Of Leon have discussed the #MeToo movement, and the ongoing dialogue about sexual harassment in the music industry.

Speaking to NME for this week’s Big Read, the band discussed parenthood, with Nathan Followill saying that cliches of rock and roll hedonism “hits home a lot harder, being the father of a daughter.”

Addressing the way that the industry has been forced to re-examine past behaviours by the #MeToo movement, his brother Caleb added: “A lot of stuff has gone on for a long time, and people weren’t punished for it. I feel terrible that it has happened for so long.”

Asked whether he’s thought differently of his own previous experiences, Caleb said: “No one’s perfect, obviously. I’m surely not perfect. But moving forward I think everyone realises that this shit doesn’t fly anymore. And it never should have.”

Kings Of Leon Echoing
Kings Of Leon, 2021. CREDIT: Press

However Caleb also said he’s wary of ‘cancel culture’. “I also feel bad that nowadays people’s careers are ending right and left,” the musician said. “Everyone has had a bit of a spotlight pointed on them, even if it’s just you doing it to yourself.

“I think everyone is probably walking around a little nervous right now. Not necessarily because of things you’ve done in the past, but just because every time you open your mouth, you never know if someone’s going to change the words and try to take you down. It’s a different climate out there, for sure.”

Kings Of Leon released their eighth album ‘When You See Yourself’ today (March 5). In a four-star reviewNME described it as “an album that finds them joyful, energised and curious, the sound of growing happier in your own skin.”

Earlier this week, meanwhile, Kings Of Leon announced that they would be releasing the album in the form of a non-fungible token, a type of cryptocurrency.