Incubus is an American rock band from

Calabasas, California Calabasas (from Spanish ''calabazas'' " gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna mountains.Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist

Mike Einziger Michael Aaron Einziger (born June 21, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He is best known for being co-founder and guitarist of the rock band Incubus, and has also co-written, produced and collaborated with a wide array of a ...

, and drummer José Pasillas while enrolled in Calabasas High School and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell; both of whom were replaced by bassist

Ben Kenney Benjamin Lee Kenney Sr. (born March 12, 1977) is an American musician from Brielle, New Jersey. He is the current bass guitarist for the band Incubus (since 2003) and had previously played in the Roots as a guitarist. He also records as a sol ...

and DJ Kilmore, respectively. Incubus has attained commercial success, reaching

multi-platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

sales, as well as releasing several successful

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

. After their first two albums, ''

Fungus Amongus ''Fungus Amongus'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Incubus, released November 1, 1995, on Stopuglynailfungus Music on Chillum, Incubus' own independent label. It was later re-released under Epic/Immortal on November 7, 2000, af ...

'' (1995) and ''

S.C.I.E.N.C.E. ''S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'' is the second album by the American rock band Incubus, released on September 9, 1997, by Epic/Immortal Records. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA, and is the second and final Incubus release to feature Gavin Koppell (know ...

'' (1997), the band earned mainstream recognition with the release of their 1999 album '' Make Yourself'' which spawned several hits, including the band's highest charting song "

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" * ...

." Success continued with the albums '' Morning View'' (2001) and '' A Crow Left of the Murder...'' (2004). Their sixth studio album, '' Light Grenades'', debuted at No. 1 in 2006 and was followed by Incubus's first greatest hits album '' Monuments and Melodies'' in June 2009 and the band's 2011 album, '' If Not Now, When?''. Incubus also released an EP, '' Trust Fall (Side A)'', in early 2015, and two years later, the band released their eighth studio album, titled '' 8'', on April 21, 2017. A second EP, ''Trust Fall (Side B)'', was released on April 17, 2020. Worldwide, Incubus has sold over 19 million albums.

History

Formation, ''Fungus Amongus'' and ''Enjoy Incubus'' (1991–1996)

Incubus was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, guitarist

, bassist Alex Katunich and drummer José Pasillas, while the members were in high school. They existed as a band for some time before they gave themselves a name, having only chosen the band's name "Incubus" when required to supply a band name for an upcoming show. The band's early shows were frequently at nightclubs on

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverl ...

, including such well-known venues as the Whisky a Go Go, the Roxy and the Troubadour. Early on the members of Incubus bonded over Phish and Primus and used their grassroots approach as a model for their career. Incubus produced many of their early recordings with Jim Wirt and Chillum Records in the Santa Monica studio 4th Street Recording, only able to work on their music during hours in which they were not in school. In 1995 recorded their first two-song EP, '' Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout Root Beer''. This was followed by the debut album ''

'', also recorded with Wirt and released on Incubus's own label ''Stopuglynailfungus Music''. Incubus then added

Gavin Koppell Gavin Koppel, better known by his stage name DJ Lyfe, is an American musician, record producer, and artist, best known as the former turntablist and co-songwriter of the band Incubus between the years of 1995 and 1998. He is also a graffiti ar ...

(known by his stage name DJ Lyfe) to the band. In the following year, Incubus signed a seven-record deal with

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

's Immortal Records, later to become

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...

. The group was spotted by Epic/Immortal A&R Paul Pontius, who was also responsible for signing

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

to the label. The 1997 six-track EP '' Enjoy Incubus'' was the band's first major-label release and was created so the band could present a recording while touring with Korn in Europe.

''S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'' (1997–1998)

'', Incubus's second studio album, was released on September 9, 1997. After their album release, they started opening for bands such as

and

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

. This album marked a stylistic departure from the band's early material, featuring heavy guitar riffs, slap bass and turntables to create their most nu metal album. In February 1998, Incubus dismissed Koppell. They decided that with him in the band they could no longer be a productive family. A friend recommended Chris Kilmore to fill the position. The band enjoyed Kilmore's style and attitude towards life and asked him to join the band. Incubus participated in the Ozzfest and Family Values

metal A metal (from ancient Greek, Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, e ...

festivals and toured with System of a Down and Ultraspank during the fall. Chris Kilmore, also known as DJ Kilmore, replaced DJ Lyfe.

''Make Yourself'' (1999–2000)

After constant touring throughout 1998, and after selling over 100,000 copies of ''

'' without the support of radio or television exposure, Incubus took a break for two years and then released their critically acclaimed third album '' Make Yourself''. After just two weeks in the studio with producer Jim Wirt, the band was unhappy with the recordings and opted to continue recording without a producer. After another 3 weeks of recording, R.E.M./

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...

producer Scott Litt took an interest in their songs and started taking part in the recording sessions, mainly focusing on songs like "

" and " Stellar". According to the band, Litt's involvement in the record came mostly during the mixing process. ''Make Yourself'' was released on October 26, 1999. The album marked the beginning of a more commercially acceptable

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

and

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

sound for the band, although several songs from the album still included elements of nu/alternative metal, such as downtuned riffs and layers of electronics. Right after their album's release, the band went on tour with Primus and Buckethead, a tour which lasted for the remainder of the year. The first song that kicked off the album, "Privilege", was featured on ''MTV Sports: Pure Ride'' for the PlayStation. The band also released the single, " Pardon Me", but it was initially not well received by radio stations. Brandon and Mike decided to perform a live acoustic version of the song at the few radio stations who were showing interest, and this in turn spread the word of the song. Many radio stations began to play the acoustic version, including the influential Los Angeles radio giant

KROQ-FM KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The st ...

. With sparked interest in the song, radio stations began playing the studio version of "Pardon Me". In response, Incubus made a video for the song and released a six-song EP titled '' When Incubus Attacks (Vol. 1)'' on August 22, 2000. The EP contained the acoustic version of "Pardon Me". In its first week, the EP sold nearly 40,000 copies, and peaked at No. 41 on the ''Billboard'' 200. To start off 2000, the band headed out on Tour with System of a Down, and

Mr. Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...

until March, at which point they embarked on a headline tour in clubs until April. Due to the success of "Pardon Me", ''Make Yourself'' reached Gold certification (500,000 copies sold) in April 2000. Incubus continued to tour overseas, and returned home at the end of May to go on a tour of the United States with longtime friends 311. "Stellar," the next single from the album was soon released, and its video received afternoon airplay on MTV and '' TRL,'' becoming a success on the Alternative chart. In July, Incubus were once again on the Ozzfest bill, until the late summer. The band then took a short break after finishing the Ozzfest 2000 Tour, playing two acoustic shows at Artist Direct Studios. On October 5, 2000, ''Make Yourself'' went Platinum (one million copies sold), and shortly after, the band went on tour with Deftones. Sony re-released their independent debut album ''Fungus Amongus'' on November 7, 2000. On November 14, 2000, the band released "Drive", the fourth single from ''Make Yourself'' after "Privilege" was released (which then went to the top 20 where it stayed at No. 3 for 6 weeks.) It moved quickly up to the top of the Alternative Charts, eventually hitting the No. 1 spot. The single was a success and helped the band break into the mainstream. The single eventually reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. After a ten-year break from the music business in 2000, thrash metal band Opprobrium (formed in 1986 under the name Incubus) were forced to change their name in order to avoid confusion and a lawsuit.

''Morning View'' (2001–2002)

The band took a break during the first part of 2001 before heading to a beachside mansion in Malibu, California, to record their follow-up album, which would later become known as '' Morning View''. They began touring once more with Hundred Reasons in Europe from June until the first week of July. At this time, the band was invited to play with the Area 1 Festival, which featured Moby, Outkast, the Roots, Paul Oakenfold,

Carl Cox Carl Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, as well as radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Hove, Sussex, England. Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has performed at numerous clubs and ...

, and

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired de ...

. Also, in July, ''Make Yourself'' was certified double-platinum, selling 2 million copies. In August, the band got to play their first shows in Australia and Japan, before returning to the United States to begin their headlining tour with their long-time friends from California,

Hoobastank Hoobastank (sometimes stylized as h∞bastank, and originally known as Hoobustank) is an American rock band formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, by lead vocalist Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist ...

. Meanwhile, the band's video for "Drive" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in the category of Best Group Video. Continuing to tour, Incubus released their first single, "

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

", from their upcoming record, ''Morning View'', on August 21, 2001. The single instantly began to climb up the

Alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

charts, reaching No. 2 by early September. The music video was released at the end of that month, after being re-cut to make it more viewable in the wake of the

9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...

disaster. The video earned viewings on MTV's TRL, VH1, and MuchMusic. Their follow-up single was "Nice to Know You." On October 23, 2001, the band released their fourth full-length major label album. The name was taken from the street on which the band's recording studio was situated. Incubus continued to headline dates after its release, and "Wish You Were Here" continued to sit among the top 10 on ''Billboard''s Alternative charts. ''Morning View'' debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at the No. 2 spot (266,000 copies were sold in its first week). This was the highest ever placement for Incubus. At the same time, "Wish You Were Here" was at No. 2 on the Alternative Charts, and "Drive" sat at No. 48 on the Hot 100 chart. The band won an award for Billboard's Alternative Single of the Year for "Drive". By December, ''Morning View'' was certified platinum, "Wish You Were Here" was No. 4 on Alternative charts, and ''Morning View'' was No. 38 on top 200. On December 11, Incubus released ''When Incubus Attacks (Vol. 2)'', a

DVD-Video DVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD discs. DVD-Video was the dominant consumer home video format in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia in the 2000s until it was supplanted by the high-definition Blu- ...

that featured music videos for "Take Me to Your Leader", "A Certain Shade of Green", "Pardon Me", "Stellar", "Drive", "I Miss You", and "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)", live footage, backstage video, and more. Director Bill Draheim documented the making of "Drive". Save Me from my Half-Life Drive is the result of that edited EPK footage. To begin 2002, Incubus was No. 9 with "Drive", No. 12 with "Stellar", No. 20 with "Wish You Were Here", No. 75 with "Nice To Know You" and No. 31 with the album ''Morning View''. On January 24, 2002, MTV's TRL premiered the "Nice to Know You" video, and Boyd called in from Europe where the band was on tour with

and

. The band was then featured on MTV's ''Becoming'', TRL, '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', and played the '' Late Show with David Letterman'' on February 14, 2002, all before heading off to play dates in Japan and Australia for the remainder of February and March. While in Sydney, the band shot the video for their next single, "Warning", from March 7 until March 11. The band then released the DVD '' The Morning View Sessions'' on May 28, shortly before playing the Weenie Roast on June 8 for KROQ. Incubus issued a limited-edition version of ''Morning View'' on October 1 to coincide with their fall headlining tour. The new version of the album contained a DVD dubbed the "Morning After View Session". It featured the UK video for the group's track "Are You In?", tour footage, new artwork, behind-the-scenes material, and more. Incubus's last performance in 2002 (on November 1) brought several eras for the band to a close. Their last show of the tour would be their last show touring behind 2001's ''Morning View'', as the band looked on to playing new music. The show would also prove to be their last with bass player Dirk Lance, who left the band due to personal differences. Lance was quietly replaced by former the Roots guitarist

, who began working with Einziger on new songs for a psychedelic jazz-funk project called Time-Lapse Consortium. Incubus ended the year on the charts, having "Wish You Were Here" (#10), "Warning" (#16), and "Nice To Know You" (#26) on the alternative rock format chart, joining "Wish You Were Here" (#25) and "Nice To Know You" (#36). ''Morning View'' was the 40th-best-selling album of 2002.

''A Crow Left of the Murder...'' (2003–2004)

On January 6, 2003, the band began writing for their next record. The next month, on February 7, the band began to renegotiate their record contract. The band, which had been signed to Epic/ Immortal for seven years, cited the fact that state law limits the amount of time that an artist can be bound to a company. The band had been signed to the label for 7 years, and used California's "Seven Years Law" as a negotiating tool with Epic/Immortal. After releasing three successful albums, the band had been compensated poorly compared to the revenue that they had generated for

. The band entered a lawsuit against their label in order to break from their contract, to which Sony responded with a lawsuit of their own. On March 1, Einziger, along with Scott Litt, Dave Holdredge, and Rick Will, was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Engineered Album (Non Classical)" category, for their work on ''Morning View''. On April 3, after weeks of circulating rumors about Dirk Lance's departure from the band, an official announcement was made by the band. A decision had been reached amongst members of Incubus in a face-to-face meeting at the end of the ''Morning View'' tour to discuss his involvement in the band. The band said that the split had become necessary due to "irreconcilable creative differences". Almost immediately after the announcement of a new bass player, the 2003 Incubus vs. Sony case had been settled. The two sides settled on a new contract that delivers three albums to Epic/Immortal with an option on a fourth. The first album would be worth $8 million in advances to the band, with another $2.5 million for each one thereafter. Incubus (Logo)

By December the new album, which was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording Studios in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, Georgia was recorded live, opposed to recording each instrument at separate times, and was produced by Brendan O'Brien (

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, g ...

, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Stone Temple Pilots) was completed and scheduled for release. Titled '' A Crow Left of the Murder...'', the album was to be an enhanced CD with behind-the-scenes video. In the videos, Einziger and Boyd discussed their new songs. Einziger described them as "like the old shit, but older. It's very different. It's very energetic and fast, and a lot of it is more technical. I guess maybe in the vein of more of our older songs; they don't sound like our older songs. They are more exploratory." It was the last Incubus album to be labelled as "

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...

" by the media,Incubus Fail To Mature With Fifth Installment
Michigan Daily - February 10, 2004. Retrieved March 7 2013. with subsequent albums from the band diverting even further from this sound. On December 15, 2003, the first single, " Megalomaniac", was released. It raised controversy when it was said to be an attack on the Bush administration, and was banned from daytime view on MTV (despite the band saying that it was not an attack on a particular person, rather a comment on some people's negative attitudes). However, the band was actually pleased with this nighttime viewing restriction. Says Boyd, "When we heard our video had been relegated to late night rotation, I think that all of us were secretly like, 'Yes!' ". Pasillas reflected Boyd's sentiments, saying, "I think it's okay if people think that we're trying to make a political statement. Whatever anyone conjures up or takes from our music is good; I mean, our point is to get people thinking." ''A Crow Left of the Murder...'' was released in 2004, showcasing a new turn for the band. The second single released was "Talk Shows on Mute", featuring a video that was inspired by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...

's '' Animal Farm''. Incubus toured worldwide in 2004 with many bands, including Ben Kweller, the Walkmen, Hundred Reasons, the Music, Brand New and

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...

, to promote their new album after their original support act the Vines pulled out due to exhaustion. One song left off the album, the 27-minute-long instrumental entitled "The Odyssey", was later featured on soundtrack for the video game, '' Halo 2''. In November 2004, the band released a live DVD entitled ''

Alive at Red Rocks ''Alive at Red Rocks'' is a live DVD and bonus CD by the American band Incubus. It was recorded in Red Rocks, Colorado on July 26, 2004. It was the first DVD showing new bassist Ben Kenney ( Dirk Lance's replacement). It was also the first DV ...

'', filmed in

Red Rocks Park Red Rocks Park is a mountain park in Jefferson County, Colorado, owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formations wi ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, during their world tour for ''A Crow Left of the Murder...''. Along with the DVD came a bonus CD featuring five tracks, including a studio version of live favorite "Pantomime", "Follow" (a lyrical version, different from the First Movement of the Odyssey version), and the UK

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

"Monuments and Melodies". Two live tracks were also included. The performance was also sold in high definition via

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

Disc. A high definition version of the entire song " Pardon Me" is also available for free download from the PlayStation Store, an online service for

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

users. In December 2004, at a gig in Los Angeles the band played

the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...

hits " De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da", " Message in a Bottle" and " Roxanne" with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers from the former band.

''Light Grenades'' (2005–2008)

In the spring of 2005, the band went back into the studio with Brendan O'Brien. Three new songs were released in late July 2005 as part of the soundtrack album to the

film ''

Stealth Stealth may refer to: Military * Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles ** Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology **Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology ** St ...

''. The track '' "Make a Move"'', was released to radio in late May, and song reached No. 17 (Alternative Charts) and No. 19 (Mainstream Rock Charts). Fan reaction towards "Make a Move" was lukewarm, but the other two new songs, "Admiration" and "Neither of Us Can See" (a duet with Chrissie Hynde), seemed to be much more well-liked. In January 2006, the first of a series of Incubus podcasts was released by the band via internet. Among other things, the podcast featured the band's thoughts about their 2005 South American tour, some information on their new album, a mash-up of "

" and Tupac Shakur's " Better Dayz", a cover of Soundgarden's " Black Hole Sun", and a few live interludes. On August 1, 2006, the band announced that album number six, '' Light Grenades'', was soon to be released and that it was being produced by Brendan O'Brien. A few weeks afterward, the release date was confirmed to be Tuesday, November 28. Upon release, ''Light Grenades'' debuted No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, the first time Incubus has ever sat atop the album charts, despite only selling 165,000 copies (their lowest debut for an album since ''Make Yourself'') in the first week. In November, Incubus played two exclusive European shows in Berlin and London. These were both in less than 2,000-capacity venues—a special occasion for the band and the fans (due to Incubus's mainstream success, the band now usually plays at large arenas worldwide). The band used these shows to showcase new material from ''Light Grenades''. The band's first single, " Anna Molly", had a music video which had mainstream success. On December 27, 2006, Incubus launched the "I Dig Incubus" contest, in which participants cut together clips of the band performing their single " Dig", to form a complete music video. On February 1, 2007, five finalists were announced for the "I Dig Incubus" contest. In a video interview on '' Blender'', bassist and vocalist

said, "It's almost something that will happen whether or not we want to do it. People will make their own videos for songs. It's kind of a cool way for us to get together with fans out there who are artistic." On August 4, 2007, Incubus played on the first day at

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

's Virgin Festival along with bands such as

and Beastie Boys. Michael Einziger had been suffering from

carpal tunnel syndrome Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the collection of symptoms and signs associated with median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel. Most CTS is related to idiopathic compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunn ...

and although he had an operation that has corrected the problem, he needed to recuperate for a few months, hence recent tour plans were postponed. Incubus apologized to fans and continued the tour in the summer and autumn. In February and March 2008, Incubus hit the road again starting in New Zealand and headlining the Soundwave festival in Australia alongside the Offspring and

Alexisonfire Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit ...

, and toured Asia performing to sell-out crowds. In Singapore, they met fans at a Meet and Greet session at Changi Airport and performed at Fort Canning Hill. In April, Incubus performed at the Festival Imperial in Costa Rica, along with the bands

the Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...

and Duran Duran, and later in Venezuela at the Poliedro de Caracas. Incubus also performed a number of shows throughout Europe this summer including the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Festivals in Germany, the Nova Rock Festival in Austria,

Pinkpop Festival The Pinkpop Festival is an annual music festival held at Landgraaf, Netherlands. It is usually held on the Pentecost weekend (''Pinksteren'' in Dutch, hence the name). If Pentecost falls on an early date in May, the festival is held later in Ju ...

in the Netherlands and the Download Festival in England. In July 2008, the band played in a VH1 tribute to

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

alongside Foo Fighters,

and the Flaming Lips.

Hiatus and greatest hits album (2009–2010)

In April 2008 the band took a break from touring and recording while its members concentrated on school, family and other activities. Brandon Boyd enrolled in a university art program in Los Angeles, while guitarist Mike Einziger went to Harvard music school to study composition. Drummer José Pasillas was also "having a baby, so there's a lot of normal life stuff going on right now—school, babies, mortgages," Boyd said. "I'm of the mind to say it wouldn't be a bad thing to disappear for a year or two years," he said. "A lot of people would say culture moves too fast and you need to remind people, but I would argue there's not any rush." In mid January 2009, Incubus posted a video to their official site, describing what each band member was currently occupied with in the form of letters to each other. The resolution of the video was that the band was planning on getting back together soon, excited to create new music with their diverse experiences over their respite. On March 11, 2009, Incubus posted an update to their official site detailing the new greatest hits album, '' Monuments and Melodies.'' The first single for the album was "Black Heart Inertia," released on April 7, 2009 with the album coming two months later on June 16, 2009. Disc one of the album included new singles "Black Heart Inertia" and "Midnight Swim" as well as the top radio hits of the last decade. Then disc two of the album contains songs that have not been released officially on an album, or were rejected demos on prior albums, as well as an acoustic version of "A Certain Shade of Green," and a cover of the

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

song "Let's Go Crazy." The band also announced many confirmed dates for a Summer Amphitheater Tour of the US. On April 1, 2009, the band posted a fake "making of" video that was filmed on the set of "Black Heart Inertia". In the video, Brandon and his double "swapped places". Brandon fetched coffee for his double, and his double also imitated

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, includin ...

when the DP annoyed him, shouting at and violently chasing him out off of the set. After the short film, the first full stream of "Black Heart Inertia" was uploaded, clocking in at 4:17. On April 2, the full song was streamed on the band's official site. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Alternative Songs chart, making it the band's 15th Top 10 standing on the list. On June 16, 2009, ''Monuments and Melodies'' was released to the public, and opened at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''Monuments and Melodies'' was the band's fourth album to reach the top 5 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The next month, on July 1, 2009, Boyd stated to ''North County Times'', "We are definitely going to be writing ... in hopes of putting out a record sometime in 2010. That's the hope. We can never force anything. I definitely have the suspicion that we're going to get on the road together this summer, and we're just going to start playing and stuff is going to start brewing, and we're going to light that fire again." In January 2010, it was revealed that former turntablist Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell threatened current turntablist Chris Kilmore in a store on December 28, 2009. Kilmore, who replaced Gavin Koppell in 1998 claimed that Koppell, "asked me to fight him right there and raised his fists to me." As result of the incident, a judge has granted a new

restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protecti ...

against Koppell. Kilmore also had a previous restraining order issued against Koppell in 2003 after Koppell allegedly spat in his face.

''If Not Now, When?'' (2011–2013)

After the release of Boyd's first solo album, '' The Wild Trapeze'' on July 6, 2010, it was announced that Incubus would head back into the studio to begin writing and recording a new studio album, to be released on July 12. The band played a handful of South American tour dates in October 2010, also debuting a new song "Surface to Air." Incubus announced in March 2011 that the new album was complete and would be released in "August or September" according to Brandon Boyd. Boyd also stated that "this new record is different from anything that we've done." On April 2, 2011, band manager Steve Rennie confirmed that the new album had been named, '' If Not Now, When?''. It was released on July 12, 2011. The album's lead single is " Adolescents" and it was posted on the band's website on April 4, 2011. On April 28, 2011, Incubus premiered the video for "Adolescents" and also released a video with behind the scenes footage. The band revealed that they would tour for 18 months following the release of the record. Incubus - Rock in Rio Madrid 2012 - 34

To promote the release of ''If Not Now, When?'', the band took part in a participatory media exhibit and real-time documentary called Incubus HQ Live that allowed unprecedented fan access and interaction. Footage, music and art from the seven-day event became available as a special edition box set in July 2012. Mike has said that he is writing music for an orchestral project and also for Incubus. He states in a video (Mikey Gear Tour part II), "My hope is to just write lots of music and then by the time we get to the point to where we're going to finish the tour I'll have a lot of music written and then people won't have to wait five more years for another album (laughs)." The band joined

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drumm ...

as co-headliners on the 2012 edition of the

Honda Civic Tour The Honda Civic Tour was an annual concert tour, sponsored by American Honda Motor Company and produced by Marketing Factory. 2001 First half *Headliner: Blink-182 *Supporting: No Motiv, Sum 41, The Ataris, and Bodyjar Second half *Headli ...

. Incubus hinted that they would go on hiatus following the end of the 2012 Honda Civic Tour, but their manager stated that Incubus would only take a break after the tour, not a hiatus. In October 2012, the band released their second compilation album. The album, entitled '' The Essential Incubus'', included songs spanning the band's major label career, from 1997's ''Enjoy Incubus'' EP to 2011's ''If Not Now, When?''. In August 2013, the band announced a South American tour to take place later that year.

''Trust Fall (Side A)'' (2014–2015)

In a radio interview while on the road with his solo band Sons of the Sea, Brandon Boyd announced that fans can expect some new Incubus music in 2015, followed by a tour.

also reinforced this statement when asked on his

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

page. In August 2014, Einziger posted a picture of the band on his Instagram in a studio, alluding to the fact they were in the process of creating their album. Subsequently, a few days following the images of the band in a studio, they announced they would be attending the 2015 Soundwave music festival in Australia, alongside Faith No More and Soundgarden. They played at the KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas 2014 on December 14, their first full band appearance since December 2013. During their performance they debuted a new song called "Trust Fall". Incubus announced they will release two EP's in 2015 with the first, ''Trust Fall (Side A)'' set for release on May 12, 2015, having been delayed from March 24, 2015. The first single, " Absolution Calling", was released February 5, 2015, to be followed by the second single, "Trust Fall", on March 10, 2015. They performed at Australia's Soundwave festival and two other concerts in Australia. In March 2015, they toured Japan, Hawaii and "Festival Cumbre Tajín" in Mexico. They headlined the DC101 Kerfuffle on May 4, 2015. In May and June 2015, they will play at two festivals in Germany ("Rockavaria" and "Grüne Hölle"), one concert in Milan and at Donauinselfest in Vienna. They will also be in London's Hammersmith Apollo on the June 16, 2015. Incubus also announced a joint 2015 North American Summer Tour with Deftones. Support will be provided by Death from Above 1979 for most concerts of the tour. The tour began on July 22, 2015, in Clarkston, Michigan at the DTE Energy Music Theatre and with the final concert of the tour occurring on August 30, 2015, in Chula Vista, California at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre.

''8'' (2016–2018)

The band reconvened in 2016 to work on their eighth full-length studio album. On February 16, 2017, the lead single " Nimble Bastard" was released, and it was announced that the new album would be titled '' 8'', with a projected April 21 release date, with Skrillex contributing to the production and mixing of the album. A summer 2017 tour was announced with

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They ...

and Judah & the Lion supporting, and was followed by a world tour across several continents including South America, Asia, and Europe.

''Trust Fall (Side B)'' (2019–present)

The band announced via its Twitter page that a new single titled "Into the Summer" would be released on August 23, 2019. The release of the single coincides with a US tour, to mark the 20th anniversary of '' Make Yourself''. In an interview with Loudwire on October 20, 2019, bassist Ben Kenney confirmed the band had completely finished four new songs and were currently working on more, but didn't confirm whether these songs would be released in the form of a new studio album or if they would be released as individual songs. On the matter he said "We don't want to get stacked up in a studio making an album. We have to adapt our process 'cause the albums themselves don't actually make as big a splash as they used to. We're just trying to experiment and explore what we're capable of doing, and all the while not take ourselves too seriously and just really enjoy what we get to do." On January 1, 2020, singer Brandon Boyd announced their next single, "Our Love" will be released on January 31, 2020. The band were scheduled to tour the UK and other European destinations in 2020 but were forced to cancel their shows due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Musical style and influences

Incubus concert in Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Over the course of their career, Incubus has incorporated elements from a variety of genres and styles, including

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ...

,Grierson, Tim "Teaming again with O’Brien for 2006's Light Grenades, Incubus opted for a more streamlined approach after the art-rock of A Crow Left of the Murder
Incubus Biography and Profile
'' About.com'' heavy metal, electro,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

, funk metal,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, hip hop, nu metal,

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

rap metal Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables. History Origins and e ...

, techno,

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

, psychedelic music,

post-grunge Post-grunge is a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox and Collective Soul that emulated the ...

, pop metal, and

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...

. With many critics praising the band's ambition, it has also made them difficult to correctly classify. Guitarist Mike Einziger stated in 2017 that the band's diversity is "our greatest asset and our biggest flaw. We don't fit anywhere and we never have. We were never punk rock enough for the Warped Tour, we were never metal enough for Ozzfest, we were never quite

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produ ...

or cool enough for Lollapalooza. We've carved our own path, and we're really humbled by the fact that we've had so many supporters and people who appreciate our music." The band has also used a wide variety of instruments in their music that are not traditionally associated with use in rock music, including a djembe,

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...

, didgeridoo, and bongos on many of their earlier tracks and during live performances, and with the use of a pipa given to the band by rock musician Steve Vai which is played by Einziger in the song " Aqueous Transmission". Prior to finding mainstream success in the early 2000s, Incubus was often grouped in with the nu/alternative metal movement of the 1990s, alongside other Californian bands such as

and Deftones. When asked about his thoughts on the scene in a 2013 interview, Brandon Boyd reflected "Something I know that separated us from nu-metal was a lot of those bands had misogynist lyrics, and we never wrote stuff like that. I never wrote lyrics like that. I guess there were similarities in some of my musical and vocal stylings, but then we came off tour for ''S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'' around early '99, and wrote ''Make Yourself'', which was a vastly different album but we were still the same band. We don't try and create any kind of album really. I don't attempt to write any kind of music, this is just what comes out." The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' stated in 2001 that Incubus is "Cheerful, melodic and polite, a nu-metal band for people who don't like nu-metal bands" and also claimed that Boyd was the genre's "first official pinup boy". The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' similarly wrote in 2004 that "Incubus always stood out from the rest of the mid-'90s alt-metal crowd, its positive lyrical approach and musical versatility far richer than the overworked wallowing in misery of such acts as Korn and later arrival Staind." From the mid 2000s, Incubus began to adopt a softer sound, moving from rock towards a more pop music tone. This was particularly apparent by ''If Not Now, When?'' (2011), which was described by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' as "slick, inert ripples of interchangeable power pop". ''The Guardian'' compared the sound of ''8'' (2017) and its more ballad-like moments to Ed Sheeran. Their 2020 EP ''Trust Fall (side B)'' was described by ''Sputnik music'' as "inoffensive pop". Their influences include Faith No More,

, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, Ani DiFranco, Stone Temple Pilots, Primus, Fishbone, Suicidal Tendencies, Beastie Boys, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine,

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands fr ...

, and Phish. Boyd reflected on the band's initial influences in 2012, stating "At that time he early '90smusic got turned on its ear. We were listening to bands like Primus, Mr. Bungle,

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of j ...

, we also got into Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine. What's amazing is those bands are still good now, they're still relevant now. Alice in Chains, Red Hot Chili Peppers, these bands that were coming of age right when we were growing up, at that most important, kind of pliable time in your youth. We were basically so inspired by music, that we decided to make music on our own." Critics have compared Boyd's deep-voiced style of singing to Faith No More/Mr. Bungle vocalist Mike Patton, whom the band have also credited as a major influence.

Awards and nominations

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" , - ! scope="col" , Award ! scope="col" , Year ! scope="col" , Nominee(s) ! scope="col" , Category ! scope="col" , Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable", , - ! scope="row", MTV Video Music Brazil , 2004 , " Megalomaniac" , Best International Video , ,

Band members

Current members * Brandon Boyd – lead vocals, occasional guitar, &

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

(1991–present) *

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

, occasional keyboards,

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

(1991–present) * José Pasillas – drums (1991–present) * Chris Kilmore – turntables, keyboards, theremin, synthesizers,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

(1998–present) *

–

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, backing vocals (2003–present) Former members * Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich – bass (1991–2003) * Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell – turntables (1995–1998) Timeline

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1997) * '' Make Yourself'' (1999) * '' Morning View'' (2001) * '' A Crow Left of the Murder...'' (2004) * '' Light Grenades'' (2006) * '' If Not Now, When?'' (2011) * '' 8'' (2017)

References

External links

* *
Make Yourself Foundation – Incubus charity website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Incubus 1991 establishments in California Alternative rock groups from California American alternative metal musical groups American funk metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1991 Musicians from Los Angeles County, California Musical quintets Nu metal musical groups from California People from Calabasas, California