The first leg of the trek encompasses 25 dates in all. The group will also make a March 17 appearance in Austin, TX, as part of the SXSW music festival. Details are included below.

Kings of Leon are backing their upcoming new album, "Because of the Times," due in stores April 3. The group once again turned to producers Ethan Johns and Angelo Petraglia, who both worked on the band's previous release, 2004's "Aha Shake Heartbreak."

"We took the limitations off of ourselves," frontman/rhythm guitarist Caleb Followill said in a press release. "We went into the studio with an open mind, thinking let's do whatever it takes to get these songs to the next level. Because we really have a lot of music inside of us and a lot of different places we can go."

"We weren't scared to try anything," drummer Nathan Followill added in the statement. "I think that's the difference between this album and the last. We weren't timid at all. Every song showed us something we had inside of ourselves that we didn't know existed, which enabled us to be even bolder on the next song."

Kings of Leon's lineup features brothers Caleb Followill (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Nathan Followill (drums) and Jared Followill (bass), and first cousin Matthew Followill (lead guitar). Their father, a struggling evangelist minister, raised the Followill brothers on the road.