Incubus

Incubus Artistfacts

  • 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. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jessica - Tulsa, OK
  • 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 Morning View.
  • 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 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."
  • Even though he's a rock star, Boyd claims he still gets nervous trying to pick up girls. We think he may just say that to pick up more girls.
  • 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 in The Roots before joining Incubus. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Emanuel - Chicago, IL
  • 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. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Tim - Pittsburgh, PA
  • When Mike Einziger was 17, he auditioned to be the guitarist in Alanis Morissette's Band. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bob - Tokyo, Japan
  • 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 2

    Lives in Calabasas, California, and in other countries

    Sometimes is at Incubus concerts in California >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alonso - Lima, Peru
  • Boyd's father is Chuck Boyd, who used to portray The Marlboro Man. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jade - Evansville, IN
  • 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."

Comments: 29

  • Mike from California"Incubo" means "nightmare" in Italian.
  • Jet from Cagayan De Oro, Philippineswell i thought the band was named after the part of the ear INCUS which symbolizes sound and music, or their first studio album fungus amongus which shrooms scientific name is psilocybe cubensis.... INCUS + CUBENSIS = INCUBUS, i always thought that they were eating shrooms while making music.... hahahaha.......
  • Janus from San Antonio, TxHuh...i thought Incubus' name was one of the many profundities that represents the band. like, i thought the word, broken apart, also referred to the incubation or fruitation of something; like the fruition of a really good band (Incubus) and their ideas of the themselves and the world happening around them.
  • Krista Fulmer from Cincinnati, OhThe band chose the name Incubus because they had to think of a name on the fly before performing at a friends party. Mike Einziger, the lead guitarist, was looking through a thesaurus and found the word Incubus and they went with it. Mike remembers that it meant "A spirit that seduces women while they were sleeping" ... "It seemed pretty harmless- but we were 15." You can find the interview with Brandon and Mike's explanation here--> http://youtu.be/g6ETH_ImAHw :)
  • Maddie from Tempe, Azthe album "Morning View" was not named after the street in which the cd was recorded. The street name was "Aqueous" which is where the song "Aqueous Transmission" came from.
  • John from Duluth, Mnincubus does mean: An evil spirit supposed to descend upon and have sexual intercourse with women as they sleep. and an evil spirit and demon are one in the same. I believe they came upon the name on accident. What gets me is the fact that Merlin the Magician was a son to one these freaks. It's in a children's story for goodness sake!!
  • Scott from Lake Como, FlIncubus's Breakthrough record was not MORNING VIEW. it was MAKE YOURSELF, the sophmore effort and had three award winning tracks. it is also known as thier most well rounded album, due to its unearthly tones mixxing with melodical beats, in contrast of the warm, fizzed sounds of morning view. their third album had only two high hitting tracks , the second four, and first had one
  • Scott from Lake Como, Flben kenney is a vegitarian

    morning view is not a street.

    dirk lance left due to finally settling down with his girlfriend of 2 years

    incubus had two major records and one minor record, and a demo before morning view

    kilmore does not know how to surf, he tried in orlando, but felt it was too stressful.

  • Regie from I Don't Know, Ny"Incubus saw a therapist before recording their breakthrough album Make Yourself. The result was a more functional group"

    they also did this for Morning view.
  • Regie from I Don't Know, Ny"The songs from Fungus Amongus were recorded when Incubus were all around 18 years old."

    this is also incorrect, for even in the cd book itself it says they were between the ages of 15-17.

  • Regie from I Don't Know, Ny"They're named after an evil spirit who has sex with women while they sleep. The name does not fit their personality, as they are known as nice guys. When Incubus formed they did not know the name means "A demon that rapes a sleeping woman." One of them was reading a magazine and thought the word sounded interesting. (thanks, Jessica - Tulsa, OK)"


    This is completely incorrect.

    Hours before their first show, the band was forced to come up with a band name. After rejecting Dirks' "Chunk O' Funk" and Brandons' "Spiral Staircase", Mike turned to a nearby thesaurus. The first word he came to was Incubus, which means "nightmare" in latin. At 17 years old each, the band all thought the name sounded cool, so it stuck.

    That is correct.

    Please edit this as soon as possible.

  • Whitney from Ceres, CoMan Matt of princeton,IL dont you need to shut your mouth ben is so awsome you should trie to be like me or kitof new hartford good and positive fans who apreciate them for making us the people we are today!!!!lov ya brandon whitney
  • Whitney from Ceres, CoDirk was a good bassis but he had a bad mouth so he had to GOOO!so stop hating on the band "The Demon Hunter".INCUBUS is the best in the whole universe plus anyway BEN IS WAY BETTER!!!!!Brandon dont worry about all the haters ok?I got your back im Cherokee and polish als white too. Ilov you so much and man dont we have alot in comman were buddist cherokee inteligent and we both are blessed by your music or at least iam lov ya whitney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Matt from Princeton, IlIncubus won't ever make one album like another, but it would be nice for them to get a bassist that knows how to play bass, since the one they have now is actually a guitarist from the Roots (and he sucks at bass.) I think their new album will be awesome anyway though.
  • Joe from Princeton, IlI think Incubus' new CD should be a sound like Fungus Amongus because the sound is just so amazing and is very catchy, and almost sounds something like sublime but no one compares the sound that Mike would make and maybe the new bass with do some phat slap bass and the rest of the band knows what their doing
  • Andres from Stgo., Chilewithout dirk lance incubus lost the jazz funk style
  • Kit from New Hartford, CtINCUBUS ROCKS
  • Justin from Austin, TxIncubus has a song for everything, and is one of the best bands to smoke to...not to mention Sublime. Wish they could've toured together.
  • Tanner from Troy, AlActually, the name "Incubus" was a freak thing. They had about an hour left before their first show, and didn't have a name. They picked up a thesaurus and found "incubus." The main definition is a demon who rapes women while they sleep, but the definition in their thesaurus was "a nightmare."
  • Danielle from Dutton, AlI want to know about the "zen" thing.Does Brandon Boyd practice Zen?
  • Zvonimir from Lexington, Kyi like incubus but they dont compete with ac/dc
  • Emily from Morehead, KyA Crow Left of The Murder is one of the only cds that I can listen to straight through, and enjoy every song. But just listening to one of the cds is nothing like being at one of their concerts.
  • A Demon Hunter from Away From You :)Also, it's a very ignorant thing to say incubus is the most intelligent band ever. It's kind of hard to compete with a lot of those other guys out there (eg. Tool) though they definitely are a smart crew. Also, about that whole bassist leaving the band thing: As a bassist, I can tell you that quite a few bassists have been kicked out for "musical and emotional differences". That's bull. Most of the time they get kicked out because the band hears someone a lot better (Simply put). Some bassists can really distinguish themselves (eg. Steve Vai's bassist and Tool's bassist) and it's hard to compete with what some of these guys can do.
  • Katie from Your Mom, Canadakory-
    in·cu·bus
    n. pl. in·cu·bus·es or in·cu·bi (-b)
    An evil spirit supposed to descend upon and have sexual intercourse with women as they sleep.

    there you go right from the dictionary
  • Kory from Ogden, Utfirst of all if you look up incubus in the dicitonary it doesn't say anything about raping women while they sleep, it says that it's an evil spirit in your nightmares or something to that degree, and second i just wanted to say that incubus is the most intelligent band ever and they are definitely the best band ever in my book
  • Austin from Collierville, TnThe original bassist didnt leave. He was kicked out due to "musical and emotional differences" accoring to Brandon.
  • Belinda from Miami, FlDoes anyone know why their original bassist left the band?
  • Juan from Top City, United Statesthe album "Morning View" is named after the street in which the cd was recorded
  • Sarah-michelle from Leeds, Englandbrandon's and mike's younger bothers have formed a band of their own named 'audiovent'
see more comments

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