Brandon Boyd

Last updated

Brandon Boyd
Incubus - Rock in Rio Madrid 2012 - 67.jpg
Boyd performing with Incubus in 2012
Background information
Birth nameBrandon Charles Boyd
Also known as
Born (1976-02-15) February 15, 1976 (age 48)
Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Years active1990–present
Member of Incubus

Brandon Charles Boyd (born February 15, 1976) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Incubus, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums.

Contents

In addition to his work with Incubus, Boyd has released two solo albums – The Wild Trapeze (2010) and Echoes & Cocoons (2022) – and has collaborated with producer Brendan O'Brien under the name Sons of the Sea.

Early life

Boyd graduated from Calabasas High School in 1994 and attended Moorpark College for two years before committing to Incubus. Boyd grew up in Calabasas, California with Ricky Taylor who inspired him to write music. His parents, Priscilla "Dolly" Wiseman and Charles Boyd, both of whom had experience in entertainment, with his father being a former Marlboro Man, had nurtured his artistic side since he was a child. [1]

Career

Incubus

Boyd designed concert fliers that advertised Incubus' early performances. [2] He occasionally plays guitar during live performances and brings other instruments into his songs, such as the didgeridoo and djembe. [3] [4]

Boyd's voice was part of what enticed Sony's Epic/Immortal Records, along with the self-released album Fungus Amongus . The band was signed in 1996. Boyd's singing style in Incubus has often been compared to Mike Patton, vocalist of Faith No More and several other projects. [5] [6] [7] Boyd has mentioned Patton as being an influence since he was an early teenager. [8] Incubus' first two releases on the label, Enjoy Incubus and S.C.I.E.N.C.E. went largely unnoticed in the mainstream but subsequent releases Make Yourself and Morning View were commercial successes. Boyd attracted a large number of female fans. In a 2001 interview, Spin wrote "Considering his androgynous beauty and sweet demeanor, plus Incubus' kid-tested/mother-approved guitar rock, it's no surprise he's MTV's newest weapon of mass heartbreak. Girls scream for him to take his shirt off at Incubus shows (he usually obliges) and Teen People recently voted him one of 'The Hottest Guys in Music.' His sensitive-guy appeal sets him apart from today's testosterone-drunk rock". [9] The band's 2004 release A Crow Left of the Murder... was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in the 2005 Grammy Awards. On November 28, 2006, the band released Light Grenades . In June 2009, Incubus released a greatest hits album, Monuments and Melodies .

Boyd performing in 2004 Brandon Boyd of Incubus live 2004.jpg
Boyd performing in 2004

In 2011, Incubus finished their seventh studio album If Not Now, When? , released on July 12, 2011, followed by a tour. It was their final release under Sony.

On December 13, 2014, they performed their single entitled "Trust Fall" at KROQ. They announced the release of two EPs in 2015 with the first, Trust Fall, released on March 24, 2015, through Island Records. [10] On February 5, 2015, the single "Absolution Calling" was released. Two years later, in February 2017, Boyd and Incubus worked with Skrillex on a collaboration that was released under the title "8" in April 2017. [11]

Literature and fine art

Boyd had been drawing his entire life. Between 2003 and 2008 he focused more on creating fine art, specifically painting. He participated in different group and solo art shows, using his artwork as a means for environmental activism. September 8, 2008, marked the opening of his first solo show, Ectoplasm, at Mr. Musichead Gallery in Los Angeles, California. [12]

In March 2020, Boyd had planned to debut a new large-scale solo exhibit, Impossible Knots, at the Samuel Lynne Galleries in Dallas, Texas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person exhibit had to be postponed. On April 18, 2020, his work debuted online via a virtual exhibition preview on Instagram. [13] This online debut will be followed by the in-person exhibition in Fall 2020 or Spring 2021. [14] [15]

Boyd released a card-matching game called Two Doors/Deux Portes, based on a series of his watercolor paintings. [16]

Boyd has written and curated three books, each of which comprise his personal illustrations, photography, song lyrics, and additional thoughts and writings. His books are White Fluffy Clouds (2003), From the Murks of the Sultry Abyss (2007), and So the Echo (2013), [17] all published under his book imprint, Endophasia Publications. [18]

Solo career

On July 6, 2010, Boyd announced that his debut solo album, The Wild Trapeze was released. [19] On June 21, 2010, a music video for Boyd's first single from The Wild Trapeze, "Runaway Train", was released. A second music video was released for the album, for the song "Last Night a Passenger" in October 2010.

On January 18, 2013, Boyd announced his band, Sons of the Sea. With Incubus on hiatus, Sons of the Sea toured in 2013 and 2014. On May 29, 2013, Boyd released a teaser video announcing the name of the album, Sons of the Sea . That same year, he embarked on a book-signing tour of the Northeast to coincide with his latest publication 'So The Echo, as well as the release of Sons of the Sea's eponymous record.

On March 11, 2022, Boyd released Echoes & Cocoons, produced by John Congleton.

In 2022 and 2023, Boyd appeared as White Jesus in seasons 2 and 3 of the series Reservation Dogs .

In February 2024, he was featured on the Night Verses's single "Glitching Prisms".

Personal life

Incubus performing at Caesars Windsor, 2023-08-05 16.jpg
Incubus performing at Caesars Windsor, 2023-08-05 15.jpg
Boyd has a wide variety of tattoos

In the spring of 2011, Boyd made a large mural at the Hurley Space Gallery in order to raise awareness about single use plastics and their harmful effects on the world's oceans. [20] Boyd is involved with many organizations and charitable causes and in 2003, along with his Incubus bandmates, he founded the 501(c)(3) non-profit The Make Yourself Foundation, which has raised over $1.4 million for various philanthropic causes locally and globally. [21] The organization has awarded grant funding to over 60 nonprofit organizations. [22]

Boyd has several tattoos.

Discography

With Incubus
Solo
With Sons of the Sea
Guest Appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incubus (band)</span> American rock band

Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer José Pasillas while enrolled in Calabasas High School and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppel; the latter two were eventually replaced by bassist Ben Kenney and DJ Kilmore, respectively. Nicole Row replaced Kenney in 2024.

<i>Make Yourself</i> 1999 studio album by Incubus

Make Yourself is the third studio album by American rock band Incubus. It was released on October 26, 1999, through Epic Records and Immortal Records. The album received double platinum certification by the RIAA and produced three charting singles—"Pardon Me", "Stellar", and "Drive"—all of which reached the top three of the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, with the latter topping the chart and also becoming the band's sole top ten hit to date on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number nine.

<i>S.C.I.E.N.C.E.</i> 1997 studio album by Incubus

S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is the second studio album by American rock band Incubus. It was released on September 9, 1997, by Epic and Immortal Records. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, and is the second and final release to feature Gavin Koppel, who first appeared on the 1997 Enjoy Incubus EP. It has been occasionally considered the band's proper debut album, due to the nature of their independent release Fungus Amongus.

<i>Morning View</i> 2001 studio album by Incubus

Morning View is the fourth studio album by American rock band Incubus, released October 23, 2001, through Epic Records. A companion DVD, The Morning View Sessions, was released on May 29, 2002. Continuing the move away from nu metal, the album ranges widely from soft to hard rock sounds in the style of alternative rock. Morning View was the last Incubus album to feature bassist Alex Katunich.

<i>When Incubus Attacks Volume 1</i> 2000 EP by Incubus

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<i>Fungus Amongus</i> 1995 studio album by Incubus

Fungus Amongus is the debut studio album by American rock band Incubus, released on November 1, 1995, by Chillum Records, Incubus' own independent label. It was later re-released under Epic and Immortal Records on November 7, 2000, after popular demand.

<i>A Crow Left of the Murder...</i> 2004 studio album by Incubus

A Crow Left of the Murder... is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Incubus, released on February 3, 2004. The album marks the first appearance of bassist Ben Kenney, following the departure of founding member Dirk Lance. The singles from the album are "Megalomaniac" and "Talk Shows on Mute". "Agoraphobia" was released as a promo single.

<i>Enjoy Incubus</i> 1997 EP by Incubus

Enjoy Incubus is the second EP and major label debut by American rock band Incubus. It was released on January 7, 1997, by Epic and Immortal Records. It contained re-recordings of songs that were featured on their previous, independent releases Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout Root Beer and Fungus Amongus, as well the previously unreleased song "Version" and an untitled hidden track at the end of '"Hilikus". It was the first appearance on a release by DJ Lyfe, who added turntable scratches to the Fungus Amongus songs, and also supplied saxophone samples. This release was also noted for its introduction of 'Chuck', the mysterious mustachioed man who has become an icon for Incubus's early work. It is also the only Incubus release to feature a Parental Advisory label, despite many of their other albums also containing profanity.

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"a guy in room surrounded by toys who has an undying enthusiasm for finding out what each toy does, and has been given full license to make as much noise as he pleases."

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<i>8</i> (Incubus album) 2017 studio album by Incubus

8 is the eighth studio album by American rock band Incubus. It was released on April 21, 2017, through Island Records. The album takes its name from being the band's eighth LP. The release of 8 in 2017 saw the longest time between full-length albums for Incubus. The album was previously produced by Dave Sardy, and later re-produced and mixed by Skrillex, a close friend of the band. The album's first single, "Nimble Bastard", peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in April 2017. 8 is the last studio album with bassist Ben Kenney.

References

  1. ↑ "CNN Programs - Showbiz Today". CNN .
  2. ↑ "Incubus Band History". Incubus-online-view.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Brandon Boyd". Jango Radio. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ "13 Bands Who've Made Use of Unusual Instruments". Kerrang.com. Wasted Talent Ltd. July 14, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Incubus Make Yourself | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca.
  6. ↑ Foreman, Jon (December 7, 2006). "Incubus – Light Grenades".
  7. ↑ Sciarretto, Amy (November 19, 2001). "CMJ New Music Report". CMJ Network, Inc. – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "Brandon Boyd of Incubus: 'Jeff Buckley to me was my first experience of a Western male singer'". Music-News.com.
  9. ↑ SPIN Nov 2001, Vol. 17, No. 11
  10. ↑ "Incubus premieres new single "Absolution Calling" — listen". consequence.net. February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  11. ↑ SKRILLEX [@Skrillex] (February 27, 2017). "Been so rad working with @IncubusBand 🙌" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Broadley, Erin (September 18, 2008). "Ectoplasm: In the Art Studio with Incubus' Brandon Boyd". LA Weekly. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Brandon Boyd videos". Samuel Lynne Galleries. Squarespace. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  14. ↑ "About Brandon Boyd". Brandon Boyd. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Impossible Knots by Brandon Boyd". Samuel Lynne Galleries. Squarespace. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  16. ↑ Paul, Arielle (April 6, 2019). "Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd finds peace in his yurt". LA Times. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  17. ↑ "So The Echo - About". Brandonboyd.me. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Book Review: So the Echo x Brandon Boyd". The Manifold. The Manifold Magazine. 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Brandon Boyd: The Wild Trapeze". CraveOnline. July 12, 2010. Archived from the original on September 27, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Art Duet » Brandon Boyd Bio". artduet.net. Retrieved February 14, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ "Art Duet » Brandon Boyd Bio". artduet.net. Retrieved February 14, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. ↑ "Join Incubus at Empire Music Festival & Explore the Ancient Mayan Ruins". The Make Yourself Foundation. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
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