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by Brandon Boyd
As I was being lifted from the heap of twisted steel that was my car, I asked myself, "Am I dead?"
Then, realizing that I was still very much alive, I looked up at my
heroes--the rest of my band, Incubus--as they lifted me to the curb, and
asked, "What song are you
guys mixing?"
"Drive," they replied, after individual pauses for irony. And the record continued to be mixed an hour later.
Now, no one likes having a one-ton Mercedes smash into them, and I am
no exception. But thankfully I am not gonna be needing that car anymore!
For we,
Incubus--a five-piece musical outfit from Calabasas, California--will
be on tour in support of our new Immortal/Epic album, Make Yourself, for
the remainder of our
twenties! And any vehicles that try to collide will feel the wrath
of a 40-foot tour bus, as opposed to a mere Honda Civic.
When we come home, we will have sold 10 million copies; will have played
500 live shows; will never want to see each other again; will have changed
the musical
tastes and philosophical perspectives (for better or worse) of an entire
generation of youngsters; and will have bulging, curvacious abdomens from
years of truckstop
dining and beer-guzzling escapades!
Why Make Yourself, you ask? Well, even though we finally succumbed to
the forbidden urge to name your album after one of the songs, we did so
because we felt
the song (and phrase) "Make Yourself" summed up the vibe of the album
and direction of its lyrical content. "Make Yourself," meaning don't let
yourself be made.
Not the "Make Yourself'" that your dad may have taught you, but more
along the lines of "Fuck-the-man-get-out-from-under-the-iron-fist-of-oppresion-
make-yourself!"
Know what I mean?
This new record also attests to the fact that as musicians, Incubus
has found happiness and contentment in being a hard rock band that didn't
feel the need to be the
hardest, with the most strings tuned down, with the riffs that made
the crowds bounce the highest.
All of that is good and fun but I believe that, upon finishing this
record, Incubus has come to terms with where and what we always wanted
to be as a band: heavy,
melodic, diverse, plugged-in yet detached, thought-provoking, thought-out
but spontaneous, observational, silly, and slightly intelligent.
Yes, I realize that this is about as nebulous a description as a band
could give itself--but I believe that interpretations of things artistic
are best left up to those
interpreting from the outside in.
A Brief History
Formed Incubus in a garage in Calabasas in January, 1991. Began playing
small clubs and parties, then graduated to Hollywood gigs opening for ego/hair
bands.
Released independent record entitled Fungus-Amongus and began making
waves. Got signed about two years out of high school. Put out a six-song
EP of demos,
Enjoy Incubus (Immortal/Epic), and went on tour with Korn in Europe.
First full-length album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., released September 1997 (Immortal/Epic).
Toured behind S.C.I.E.N.C.E. for two years with Sugar Ray, Limp Bizkit,
Ozzy
Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Korn, 311 and others. Sold 200,000 units of
S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and Enjoy Incubus combined. Came home and wrote new album
for eight
weeks. Had collective nervous breakdown.
Make Yourself recorded every day for nine weeks in Summer, 1999 at NRG
studios. Album co-produced with Scott Litt (R.E.M., Nirvana, Days Of The
New),
mixed by Rick Will and Scott Litt. Going on tour with Primus until
2000 AD (sheesh), beginning November 6, '99 in Cleveland, Ohio.
In Conclusion
DJ Kilmore is a turntablist, José Pasillas is a drummer, Dirk
Lance plays the bass and golfs with passion, Mike Einziger fondles six
guitar strings like he's in love, my
name is Brandon and I sing. For information on who is on drugs, who's
in love, who spit on who, who'll be running for president in 2012, and
or any other inquiries
related herein, please don't hesitate to contact us.
"Thank you, drive through..."
