1991-Brandon BoydVocals
Mike EinzigerGuitar
Chris KilmoreDJ1998-
Alex Katunich (Dirk Lance)Bass1991-2003
Jose PasillasDrums
Ben KenneyBass2003-
They're named after an evil spirit who has sex with women while they sleep. The name doesn't fit their personality, as they are known as nice guys. When Incubus formed they didn't know the meaning of the name - one of them came across it while reading a magazine and thought the word sounded interesting.
The band formed in 1991 while they were students at Calabasas High School in California. They played in bars and released two albums before they hit it big 10 years later with the song "
Drive" from their album
Make Yourself.
Incubus were the only major band who didn't cancel their shows the week of the September 11, 2001 attacks. They went ahead with their first headlining tour as scheduled, kicking it off on September 14 with a show in Gilford, New Hampshire, followed the next night with a show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
All the members except Chris Kilmore met in elementary school in Calabasas, California. All except Kilmore graduated from Calabasas High School in 1994. Kilmore grew up near Philadelphia.
They earned a fan base playing at Ozzfest, which got them labeled a metal band (there is a rumor that Incubus got the Ozzfest second stage slot because they were Jack Osbourne's favorite band). They have since broken that stereotype with lighter, more melodic songs.
Brandon Boyd has a keen sense of humor, honed over the years from answering the same interview questions over and over. Asked about the secret to the band's longevity in 2017, he replied: "Moisturizer."
Boyd claimed that despite his rock star status, he still got nervous trying to pick up girls. In 2023 he married Sarah Hay, a former ballerina and actress.
When they were kids, Mike Einziger's mom had a Music Mobile and took unique instruments to different schools. This exposed Mike to instruments like mandolins, banjos, and dulcimers, helping foster his interest in music.
Ben Kenney played guitar in The Roots before joining Incubus as their bassist.
In 2003, Boyd released a book of poetry and art titled White Fluffy Clouds, and another in 2007 called From the Murks Of The Sultry Abyss.
Brandon Boyd's brother Jason and Mike Einziger's brother Ben formed a band called Audiovent that in 2002 toured with Adema and released an album called Dirty Sexy Knights In Paris.
The songs from their first album, Fungus Amongus, were recorded when the members were all around 18 years old. Boyd says they were still very raw, and feels it's unfortunate that the album is available on streaming services.
Every member of the band surfs.
Boyd is an accomplished artist who started the
Moonlight Arts Collective in 2022 to showcase his work and that of other musicians who also draw and paint.
Early on, Incubus kept a dream catcher in their bathroom on the tour bus for all of the hippies that go in their bathroom.
When Einziger and Kilmore appeared on the MTV show Cribs, they said that if they were not in a band they would be "interior decorators for the stars." On the show, when the band goes into the small "Being John Malkovich" room, there is a giant bong in the corner.
Before each show, they do "The Claw" handshake. They all "claw" into each other's hands and say, "Have a good show boys."
Incubus saw a therapist before recording their breakthrough album Make Yourself. The result was a more functional group.
In 2003, Boyd shredded his Achilles tendon when he stepped on a broken flower pot while gardening. He spent the next few months on crutches while promoting the A Crow Left Of The Murder album.
Boyd and Einziger are vegetarians.
When Mike Einziger was 17, he auditioned to be the guitarist in Alanis Morissette's Band.
Incubus uses a funny face known as "Chuck" as their icon. He has many legends, but the only thing that is true for sure is that his real name is Charles Mulholland.
These are some of the theories as to Chuck's identity:
Lead-singer Brandon Boyd's dad, "Chuck Boyd"
'60s advertisement model for Kool cigarettes
Advertisement model for Salem cigarettes
'70s actor
'70s porn star
'70s UFO cult member
A morphed object of all the band members' faces
'70s girl's physical-education teacher
Guy who did voice-overs for '70s sex-education films
Guy who plays a news reporter in the movie
Predator 2Lives in Calabasas, California, and in other countries
Sometimes is at Incubus concerts in California
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Suggestion credit:
Alonso - Lima, Peru
Boyd's father is Chuck Boyd, who used to portray the advertising icon The Marlboro Man.
Speaking on
Heart Evangelista, Boyd talked about his muse, which drives his creative pursuits, be it painting or music. "In my experience of inspiration, it has an overwhelmingly feminine presense," he said. "When it arrives, it's something that is pregnant with potential, it's like a vessel that is giving birth to something. It's less of a sword and more of a chalice."