Incubus' Brandon Boyd on Morning View and how music helps him get through the chaos

[Listen to the full episode on our Consequence UNCUT podcast, which presents the complete interview unedited for your listening pleasure below or wherever you get your podcasts.]

“The world is going to be the world. Is that a saying? asks Brandon Boyd. The Incubus leader refers to the general idea of ​​”things happen”, but also to two very specific moments for the band: September 2001, when Incubus was days away from starting its US tour in promotion of its fourth album. morning viewand 2020, when they launched their Fall of confidence (B side) EP and planned to take morning view on the road for a 20th anniversary tour.

Both periods were marred by turbulence beyond the California group's control: the 9/11 terrorist attacks overshadowed this new album they couldn't wait to share, and 20 years later, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the group from returning to visit the album. that propelled them to their peak. “The phrase 'best laid plans' comes to mind,” Boyd clarifies. “But music, for us, has been a constant. It is a kind of continuum that we approach with joy and to which we continue to return with joy.”

For a rock band with over 30 years of history, Incubus is no stranger to stormy weather, and now, as they prepare to release their re-recorded version of morning view (noble morning view XXIII), remember one of the most important moments of their career with a renewed sense of gratitude. While Morning View XXIII is a faithful reprise of the album from start to finish (plus some newly added sonic detours), it's a great excuse to rediscover the glory of these songs. morning view 20 probably would have been a catchier title, but alas, 23 will do.

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While Incubus was recording morning view In 2001, at the Stern House in Malibu, a short drive from his hometown of Calabasas, CA, his song “Drive” became a top 10 hit. Meanwhile, Brandon Boyd, 25, was dealing with heartbreak and the quintet had a unique opportunity to grab everyone's attention.

“It was such a strange, wonderful, heartbreaking, but also eye-opening period of my life,” Boyd recalls. “I was learning a lot about myself in that kind of silent grieving… it was such a strange, dichotomous moment where I was sad, a little moody probably, but we were kind of winning at the same time.”