Looking to cap off a 12 month span that has included the release of the Platinum Only by the Night, tour dates across the globe, and festival appearances galore, Kings of Leon is reportedly gearing up for the release of a brand new remix album and live DVD.
The former is said to have been inspired after the band heard that Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams had been reworking some of its songs. What reportedly resulted is a collection of remixes that will also feature contributions from Mark Ronson, Kenna, Lykke Li (see her cover of “Knocked Up”), and Linkin Park.
“It’s neat to have these people who we would’ve jumped at the chance to work with ourselves…coming to us before we even get a chance to ask them,” drummer Nathan Followill told Billboard of the release. “It’s amazing to hear your song played by these people who are so creative. Most of the time it takes me two or three listens to even wrap my head around, ‘Oh man, that’s our song…'”
Also in the works is a live DVD that offers footage from the band’s performance at London’s O2 Arena this past July. This will be particularly worthwhile because the show featured some choice rarities, and as Followill went on to note, “we just put the cameras in the back of our minds and acted like they weren’t even there.”
Neither of the two releases are titled or scheduled at the moment, but according to Billboard, both are expected to be unveiled in the coming months.
And if all that wasn’t enough, Followill also revealed that Kings of Leon have “eight or 10” ideas for new songs they are currently working on. In a quote that will surely cause mass chaos on the blogosphere, the drummer described the material as reminiscent of a few other well-known bands.
“There’s stuff that sounds like Radiohead,” he said. “There’s stuff that sounds like Thin Lizzy. There’s stuff that sounds like The Band. We’re pretty much to the point now where…we can be experimental and try stuff we would’ve been scared to death to try on the first couple of records. Now we find ourselves being a little more adventurous.”
Queue collective drooling in five… four… three… two… one.
The yet-to-be-titled followup to Sex on Fire is expected to be released sometime in 2010.
While you’re waiting, here’s a video from the band’s appearance on Conan earlier this week.
And/or check them out on tour…
Kings of Leon 2009 Tour Dates:
08/28 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/30 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
09/08 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/09 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
09/11 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
09/12 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
09/14 – Uniondale, NJ @ Nassau Coliseum
09/16 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
09/17 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
09/19 – Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
09/20 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
09/22 – Asburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
09/23 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
09/25 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
09/26 – Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
09/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
09/30 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/02 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/03 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Ford Center
10/06 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/07 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
10/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
10/10 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
10/13 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
10/15 – Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Arena
10/16 – Nashville, TN @ Sommet Center
10/20 – Guadalajara, MX @ Telmex Arena
10/22 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Arena
10/24 – Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey