Interview with Brandon Boyd of Incubus

By Sirona Knight and Michael Starwyn

The Incubus in Greek mythology is the dream lover, which has in time taken on undeserved negative aspects. Actually, Incubus stems from the word “incubi,” meaning to incubate. This is more in the sense of an idea or pattern incubating until coming to fruition. Originally an incubi was a guide who took people on their vision quests, which often meant going into a cave and incubating. The band Incubus has begun to live up to their name in the sense that with their new album, “Make Yourself,” has taken off, and their recent appearances on the Sno-Core tour, have shown that there is a movement of discontent once again incubating in this country. The following is an interview with lead singer, Brandon Boyd, where he talks about his spirituality, his creative process, and his sense of rebellion.

How have you taken the name Incubus in a spiritual sense?

We have taken on the name with the sounds and ideas we have created. In my own experience, certain parts from songs I enjoy come in a pleasant way to invade me in my sleep. In this way, I’ll wake up singing a song or have a dream about a great piece of art I saw that I loved or haunted me. In this sense of the word, you can say we have truly taken on the name, Incubus.