Incubus

Incubus is American alternative rock band based out of Calabasas, California.There is five members in a band.The band's most successful singles are "Drive", "Wish You Were Here", "Megalomaniac", "Dig", "Anna Molly" and "Pardon Me". The band has reached multi-platinum sales with albums such as Make Yourself, Morning View, and A Crow Left of the Murder. Incubus released their latest studio album, Light Grenades, in November 2006.
Vocalist Brandon Boyd, drummer Jose Pasillas, and guitarist Mike Einziger known each other in high school.When they were fifteen,they formed the band with bassist Alex Katunich,named The Kansas City Shuffle. The group recorded a three song demo tape titled "Closet Cultivation," which including the songs "Pillow your Eyes," "Bathe in my Snot," and an early version of the song "Speak Free."Band Incubus was introduced to Jim Wirt, a local record producer,in 1993. He offered to record demos for the band and Incubus recorded their first album,” Fungus Amongus”.
In 1995, Gavin Koppell saw the band play and asked if they would be interested in using some of his tracks, which incorporated the use of turntables. He joined full-time after his first rehearsal.Band finally landed a record deal with Immortal/Epic Records. Touring throughout 1996, they established themselves as a top draw live act, gaining a dedicated following all over the United States.On January 7, 1997 Immortal Records released Incubus' EP entitled “Enjoy Incubus”. After the release of “Enjoy Incubus”, the band completed several mini-tours in its support. Their first major tour was with Korn in Europe.
Band`s second studio album,” S.C.I.E.N.C.E” was released on September 9, 1997.Album. was done in six weeks, straight through, at 4th Street Recording. Very different experience, but very important on this band’s existence.
Gavin Koppell because of personal and creative differences is asked to leave band. After a very productive first tour with the band Far, Incubus began tours with many other bands such as System of a Down, Korn and Black Sabbath, and participated in festivals such as the first Family Values Tour, Ozzfest and the Warped Tour.
After constant touring throughout 1998, and after selling over 100,000 copies of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. without the support of radio or MTV, Incubus then took some time off to record their new album “Make Yourself”.This album was released on October 26, 1999. 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 highly influential Los Angeles radio giant KROQ.
Incubus made a video for “Pardon Me” and released a six song EP titled When Incubus Attacks (Vol. 1) on August 22, 2000. In its first week, the EP sold nearly 40,000 copies, and scored #41 on the Billboard Album Charts. Due to the success of "Pardon Me," Make Yourself hit Gold Status (500,000 copies sold) in April of 2000. Incubus continued to tour overseas, and returned home at the end of May to go on a tour of the United States with long time friends 311. "Stellar," the next single from the album was soon released, and its video received afternoon airplay on MTV and TRL, becoming a huge success on Modern Rock Chart.
The band then took a short break after finishing the Ozzfest 2000 Tour. On October 5, 2000, Make Yourself went Platinum (1,000,000 copies sold). The band re-released Fungus Amongus on November 7, 2000.
On January 15, 2001, the band released "Drive," the third single from Make Yourself. It moved quickly up to the top of the Modern Rock Charts, eventually hitting the #1 spot. The single also found a more mainstream audience and received enough rotation to hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Incubus was invited to play with the Area Festival, which featured Moby, Outkast, The Roots, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, and Nelly Furtado.In July, Make Yourself was certified double Platinum, selling 2 million copies.Incubus video for "Drive" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in the category of Best Group Video.
On August 21, 2001 band released their first single, "Wish You Were Here", from their upcoming record, “Morning View”. The single instantly began to climb up the Modern Rock charts, reaching #2 by early September. On October 23, 2001, the band released their third full-length major label album “Morning View”.Album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at the #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 #2 on the Modern Rock Charts, and "Drive" sat at #48 on the Hot 100 chart. The band won an award for Billboard's Modern Rock Single of the Year for "Drive". By December, Morning View was certified platinum, "Wish You Were Here" was #4 on modern rock charts, and Morning View was #38 on top 200.
On December 11, Incubus released When Incubus Attacks (Vol. 2), a DVD 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)", live footage, backstage video, and more.
On January 24, 2002, MTV's TRL premiered the "Nice to Know You" video.Incubus featured on MTV's Becoming, TRL, The Tonight Show, and played the Letterman show 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, Incubus shot the video for their next single, "Warning".On May 28, the band released the DVD “Morning View Sessions”. In early September, Incubus released a single for "Circles".In 2001 band bass player Alex Katunich left the band due to personal differences. Katunich was replaced by former The Roots guitarist Ben Kenney.
On January 6, 2003, the band began writing for their next record.
Incubus, 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 3 highly successful albums, the band had been compensated poorly compared to the revenue that they had generated for Sony. 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.In 2003 Incubus v. 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 set out to play the 17th annual Bridge School Benefit on October 25 and 26th at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. Neil Young organized the annual concert, which aides the Bridge School in its outreach to children with severe speech and physical impairments. "A Crow Left of the Murder" and "Talk Shows on Mute" were debuted during the acoustic event.
By December the new album, which was recorded at Southern Tracks Recording Studios in Atlanta, was produced by Brendan O'Brien, was completed and scheduled for release. Titled A Crow Left of the Murder..., was to be an enhanced CD with behind-the-scenes video.
The first single,from that album, "Megalomaniac", was released on December 15, 2003. It raised controversy when it was said to be an attack on the Bush administration, and was banned from daytime view on MTV. The second single released was "Talk Shows on Mute", featuring a video that was inspired by George Orwell's Animal Farm. After this release, Incubus hit the road again. As both "Talk Shows on Mute" and the earlier single, "Megalomaniac", reflect, Incubus' new album was a very politically oriented album. It reflected many of the band's political views, stressing critical thought, independence from the media, and nonviolence.
Incubus toured worldwide in 2004 with many bands, including Ben Kweller, The Walkmen, Hundred Reasons, The Music, Brand New and Sparta, to promote their new album. One song left off the album, the 27-minute long instrumental entitled "The Odyssey", was later featured on soundtrack for the Xbox game Halo 2.
In November 2004, the band released a live DVD entitled Alive at Red Rocks, filmed in Red Rocks Park, Colorado, 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" and the U.K. B-Side "Monuments and Melodies". Two live tracks were also included.
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 Sony film Stealth. The track "Make a Move", was released to radio in late May, and song reached #17 (Modern Rock Charts) and #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. A fourth song is said to have been recorded, but there has been no word on the details of the song.
On August 1, 2006, their latest album was confirmed to be titled Light Grenades and to be produced by Brendan O'Brien. A few weeks afterwards, the release date was confirmed to be Tuesday, November 28. Light Grenades debuted #1 on the Billboard charts, 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.
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.
Recently Michael Einziger has been suffering from Carpal tunnel syndrome and although he has had an operation that has corrected the problem, he will need to recuperate for a few months, hence recent tour plans have been postponed. Incubus has apologized to fans and are continuing the tour in the summer and autumn.
Other recent events include a surprise performance by Michael Einziger and Brandon at the 2007 KROQ Weenie Roast, where they were joined on stage by Ithaca College's all-male acappella group Ithacappella, as well as an announcement claiming that "Oil & Water" will be the third single off of Light Grenades to be released. It began play on radio stations on June 5th. They will also be releasing a live DVD titled 'Look Alive' November 27, 2007.


Incubus will be headlining at the Soundwave Festival in Australia in 2008 with The Offspring and a band TBA.