'Sex On Fire' hitmakers Kings of Leon have opened up about their time away from the spotlight and confessed that it was surprising to see how a hiatus could so quickly be misconstrued as a band split.

Rocker Caleb explained to Billboard:

"It was just our time to step away for a second. We had oversaturated the market with Kings of Leon for so long that it was starting to take a toll on us. "If we hadn't taken that break, it would have been a forced album, something that we just put out there. Because, like I say, we were exhausted. We were spent."

Drummer Nathan added that the band were shocked at how quickly people began to forget about them: "It amazed me how, taking even that small of a break, people were already writing us off. I was getting condolence texts from friends: 'I'm sorry you broke up, man. Keep your head up, it will all work out.' I was laughing so hard, because none of us ever thought it was over."

The group's new album, entitled 'Mechanical Bull', is due to be released on September 24 and they unveiled their latest single, 'Supersoaker', back in July.