Interview by Kris Peters
Since their inception in 1991 US rock outfit Incubus have defied the laws and conventions of music by shading outside the lines and creating their own brand of sonic retribution.
Their music was different and experimental, while still maintaining a rock-infused underbelly that provided a meaty backbone that stood tall through a myriad of musical disparities that combined to create the perfect sonic storm.
With three consecutive albums that pushed the envelope further than ever before S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (1997), Make Yourself (1999) and Morning View (2001), Incubus and their music quickly gained global attention and transformed what was once a personal odyssey into more of a worldwide phenomenon.
Such is the band's enduring legacy, they have re-recorded Morning View and will release it on May 10 with the title Morning View XXIII, but first they are making a long overdue return to Australia for a run of shows with fellow rockers Live this April.
As well as five national co-headlining shows with Live, Incubus will also appear at the inaugural Lookout Festival, an outdoor event on some of the country's most iconic stages alongside Live, Birds Of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe and The Superjesus.
HEAVY was fortunate enough to speak with Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd on the eve of the tour.
"I think this is probably the most extensive tour of Australia we will have done," he smiled. "I could be wrong about that, but I don't remember having played… I think it's eight or nine shows by itself, just in Australia. I'm excited."
This will be Incubus' first trip to Australia since 2018, so we cheekily ask Boyd why the band has neglected us for so long.
"(laughs) Something happened in the world sometime after 2019 that made it so travelling was really tough," he replied. "I don't remember exactly what it was, but something happened that kept us off aeroplanes and stuff (laughs). We're sorry it's taken us so long, but we're really excited to make our way back, and we're thrilled to be able to do these shows with the band Live as well."
On the subject of Live, we ask why they were chosen to be touring partners with Incubus on this run.
"This is something that honestly would not have occurred to me," he measured, "to put our bands together to do this. It came through other channels to potentially pair us up to tour, but when we heard about it being a possibility, all of us were very enthusiastic about the idea because Live was one of those bands when I was growing up that just had some bangers. They've got some tracks that are just killer, and I've actually never seen them play live, so it's pretty awesome to go on tour with a band that you enjoy, but you've never had the pleasure of seeing live. So this will be my introduction to them formally."
In the full interview we discuss the tour in greater detail, Lookout Festival and playing with Australian bands, what has changed in the 6 years since Incubus last toured Australia, the different excitement he gets from playing outdoor festivals compared to indoor arenas, re-recording Morning View, how well the music from that album has stood the test of time, if and how crowds respond differently to the songs from that album two decades later and more.