Incubus Talks About New Album, Tour

Oct. 24, 2001 -- You might have seen Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd on the cover of Spin — and you might also soon see him at a New York record shop, buying copies of his band's new album.

After a 10-year climb to the upper echelons of the pop chart, Boyd won't take anything for granted as he promotes his new album, the confessional Morning View. He says he's going to "walk into Tower Records" and pick up five copies, if only to keep record clerks on their toes.

"We are a slow-growth band," said Boyd, who thinks the situation is "ideal" and has helped them deal with the larger fame that other groups like Limp Bizkit and Korn seemed to grab more quickly.

Boyd and other band members spoke with ABCNEWS.com from Manhattan's Sony Studios, where they are giving a free radio concert to celebrate their new release.

Singing About Tough Love

Incubus seems poised for major stardom. "Pardon Me" and then "Drive" this summer became radio hits after the album Make Yourself was released.

Members of the group met in school and have been performing together since, formulating their version of modern rock by mixing trip-hop with hard guitar riffs.

Last winter, Incubus set up shop in a house in Malibu, Calif., to write their latest offering.

"I guess a bunch of young guys in a rock band living in this big mansion in Malibu sounds like a recipe for disaster," said guitarist Mike Einziger. He says while there was some "partying," they remained focused.

Although with its bitter breakup lyrics, you wouldn't realize this was recorded at the beach. The album kicks off with the hard-rocking song "Goodbye," a harsh farewell to a relationship gone bad, followed by "Circles," which contemplates the fate of a spurned romance.

I saw you standing in my headlights.I thought I'd run you down for the weight you left on me.Instead I pushed rewind, reversed and drove away.And seeing you disappear in my rearview brought to methe word "Reciprocity."

"I did go through a rather a heart-wrenching split of sorts during the making of the record," said Boyd. "So you can tell certain songs that are leaning more toward that in their content."

Boyd is shy on the details of the romance, but says writing about the situation helped him figure out what had happened. The song "Just a Phase" reminds how temporary an emotion can be.

I am bottled, fizzy water and you are shaking me up.You are a fingernail running down the chalkboard I thought I left in third grade.Now my only consolation is that this could not last forever even though you're singing and thinking how well you've got it made.

The album turns hopeful on quieter tracks, written when Boyd says he was feeling "new again" and reached a place of clarity about his romance. Another standout, the song "Warning," he wrote from the perspective of a female who realizes life has passed her by.

"It's a little story about somebody that I knew, and I think we all have the ability to be that way. We sort of wait for life to happen to us as opposed to being instrumental in making things happen."The song encourages the girl to run out, flirt, and rediscover life. Einziger explains it's part of their goal to offer positive messages giving fans a sort of "self-help rock."

The rock songs are mixed with the handiwork of DJ Kilmore, who was willing to tone down his scratch work for this album. "We wanted to really concentrate on the songwriting and Brandon as a vocalist," said Kilmore. "The guy can sing, you know, and he comes up with really creative melody lines, and we really wanted to focus on that."

Boyd's female fans may focus more on his good looks, but he insists he's not pandering to that when he takes his shirt off on stage or in videos. That's his way of feeling comfortable, which makes sense considering he grew up on the beach.

‘Perfect Time for Music’

While some bands are reconsidering tour dates given the current political climate, Incubus knew they could not hold up their fall tour plans or album release.

"It's the perfect time for music to be a focal point," said Boyd. "Music is a form of rebellion."

And they gave New York fans the chance to rant and rebel just days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when the group went ahead with a planned concert.

"[The attackers] want everything to shut down," said Boyd. "They want everything that they know to be our ideals and our standards to be shortcutted, and by us putting out the records, we're going, 'no, that's not how it works.'"

Kilmore said the attacks made him even more grateful to have the chance to perform and do what he loves. The band is also hopeful their songs will help people heal.

"I think our music would maybe inject some positivity in this weird time," said Einziger. "Because all of our music pretty much is tinged with hope."