Formed in Calabasas, California in 1991 (when they were in 10th Grade at High School), the band was formed of a group of friends who wanted to make music their way.
The core of the band has always stayed the same, with vocalist/percussionist (including digeredoo) Brandon Boyd, guitarist Mike Einziger, bassist Dirk Lance (aka Alex Katunich) and drummer Jose Pasillas (all b. 1976).
After a series of demos stretching back to 1993, their first album, Fungus Amongus was recorded in 1995, although at the time there was another Incubus out there (still is, so be careful when in HMV), and most of the material went onto their follow-up EP, Enjoy Incubus, which was released on Immortal, which led to the band getting several support slots with their labelmates Korn, so word-of-mouth interest was being drummed up on a large scale. The band were also completed at this time by DJ Lyfe (aka Gavin Koppel), to provide all the soundscapes that complement their sound.
After this, it was time for them to make their full debut album, which they complied with in 1997, when they released their S.C.I.E.N.C.E. opus, although this did end up with them being thrown on the Korn bandwagon with so many other bands at the time.
However, there are no similarities between the two bands at all, most noticably the difference between the vocal styles of Brandon and Jonathan Davis. Brandon has a far more accomplished singing voice at his disposal, which is used frequently. It also means he can rage on tracks such as New Skin, as well as croon away on others, such as Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song), which gives the band a lot of scope. The two are combined at times as well, on tracks such as Deep Inside. They also featured a drum 'n' bass track (Magic Medicine), which didn't seem out of place at all, as well as a brace of dancefloor fillers-Redefine, complete with digeredoo intro and furious rythm, and A Certain Shade of Green.
The musicianship is also markedly different. The sound isn't led by the bass, the drumming is a lot more hip-hop orientated, and there is only one guitar, and they all blend together, rather than one leaping out. The use of their DJ is also a valid extension to the unit-providing soundscapes that the band build on, as well as samples and other desired effects, rather than icing on the cake which is true with so many other bands in this field. The desired effect is also different. Rather than making you want to jump in the pit, it makes you want to jump around and crowdsurf. Trust me, I know...
After S.C.I.E.N.C.E's release, Incubus somehow didn't get huge, although they had a good following drummed up. They did make a contribution to the Spawn soundtrack with DJ Greyboy, and a slot on the first Family Values tour, but they didn't quite make the big time which they deserved.
So, with DJ Lyfe jetissoned for the more talented DJ Kilmore (b. Chris Kilmore, 1973), they set to remedy this. The end product was available in late '99, Make Yourself. This time the band experimented some more with their sound, so there were some more mellow tracks on there, as well as a chance for Kilmore to demonstrate his skills. There were still plenty of uptempo tracks on display, though. Lead track Privilege taking up the reins as the album's main dancefloor filler, whereas they also hacked onto prime-time MTV with the track Pardon Me, which sent the album Gold.
So, with a series of live dates to thank the fans for their support getting them the attention they deserved (as well as a slot on the Scr3am soundtrack and Kilmore guesting on Ultraspank's Progress opus), they also realised their dream from when they were 15 years old growing up in the sort of town you aren't supposed to be able to get out of, the future looks bright for the Californian quintet. It seems they made themselves afterall.
