Five days after the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, it was hard to think about music. The weight of the tragedy over whelmed all thoughts of art and entertainment. In Manhattan a massive cloud of smoke and dust still hovered over the area where the World Trade Center once stood. The city and country mourned the deaths of thousands, both there and in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

As might be expected, bands around the country canceled or postponed concerts in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Incubus was one of the few to play on. The band performed at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom in midtown Manhattan only days after the collapse of the towers. The band donated all proceeds from the weekend's sold-out shows to benefit relief efforts, as did the concerts' promoters, Metropolitan Entertainment Group and local New York radio station K-ROCK.

Many felt that the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, threatened the spirit of music and creative expression in general. However, that weekend Incubus proved that such hideous acts of politically motivated violence can't kill — or even wound — rock 'n' roll.

As the band took the stage the first night, the atmosphere was solemn yet stirring. Kids chanted “USA! USA!” and held up a large American flag. Incubus broke into “Stellar,” a riveting song from their 1999 double-platinum album Make Yourself (Epic/the rtal). It became immediately apparent that the band would perform an emotional set. It was as if they had no choice.

During the concert's third song, “Pardon Me,” all their signature elements — especially Brandon Boyd's passionate vocals, Mike Einziger's multifaceted guitar stylings, and Dirk Lance's assertive bass work — glowed. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as Boyd sang, “So pardon me while I burn and rise above the flame.” Indeed, everyone in the large hall was making an obvious attempt to rise above the horror that the country faced. Later, Boyd spoke to the crowd. “I really think it's amazing that all of you came out tonight,” he said, “because we're showing whoever did this that they can't really touch us.”

My ears particularly perked up when Incubus unveiled songs from their latest album, Morning View (Epic/Immortal), the band's third full-length release. One of the new tunes was “Mexico,” a poignant acoustic number performed by Boyd and Einziger, who strums with folky fervor. Another, the hit song “Drive,” revs up similarly before the band kicks in with electric prowess. Later, an extremely catchy new rocker named “Warning” states, “Don't ever let life pass you by.”

This interview with Boyd and Lance took place a day before the attacks. Together, they offer an ardent, articulate, and comprehensive discussion of the band's live approach and the emotive funk-, reggae-, metal-, and electronic-based rock that the quintet cultivates. They touch on philosophical issues as well. Indeed, their final comments about dealing with adversity resonate, given the events that would follow in the next 24 hours.

At what point did you realize that you'd really reached a peak as a live band?

Brandon Boyd: It happened slowly. We've always been very critical of ourselves and of each other, so we always strive to get better at our instruments and continue to progress. But I started to notice we were performing on a different level about a year and a half ago. We were playing these songs without really thinking about it, and they were sounding great.

Brandon, how have you developed as a singer and front man over the years?

Boyd: I've gotten a little more comfortable onstage — not in the sense of knowing how to work the stage or the crowd better, because I don't do that. In fact, I don't really want to be good at working the crowd. I'd like to remain a little nervous. I want people to come to our shows and be able to laugh at us for the fact that — although we know how to do what we do — we're still kids like the rest of them. I don't want to be up there with a hundred rock anecdotes, talking about what we did after a show. All that stuff is characteristic of a band that's recognized because of its personality. We'd much rather people concentrate on the music.

But when I see the singers who are great at working the crowd, part of it's endearing. It's great that they're good at it. I've never been good at it. I have no idea what to say sometimes between songs. Sometimes I'll just make noises because I don't know what to say and I'm nervous. But when the song starts, I know exactly what to do. In that sense, I've become more comfortable.

In general, how do the other members feel about performing?

Boyd: All of us have begun to find a real sense of “home” when we're playing together onstage every night. It becomes the most comfortable time in the day, because we're never [literally at] home. We're never in the same place for more than 24 hours, and it's very erratic and very chaotic. So when we come onstage, it's what we know best.

Has anything happened in your life recently that's inspired you to perform a certain way?

Boyd: The way we perform now comes more from the fact that we've been doing this for a decade. We're comfortable playing music for a living. For some reason, it took me a long time to really recognize that. I would ask myself, “Should I be doing this; is this right; am I going to survive doing this?” But it's a wonderful feeling when you realize you're doing the right thing. It's helping you prosper, and you're making other people happy by doing it. It's definitely inspiring.

This latest U.S. tour is your first as a headliner in about two years. How does not being on the road for an extended period affect the band's ability to perform?

Boyd: We've been playing together for so long that it's kind of like riding a bike. You get comfortable at home, but then we rehearse and give ourselves about a week of shows. The first few always feel kind of shaky.

What songs from Morning View best show your progression as a live act?

Boyd: There are a few in particular which are very essential to the record as a whole. “Just a Phase” has strings, and in concert we have the strings on vinyl so there won't be any parts of the song missing when we perform it. To an extent, that's how we use the turntable on stage. Everything you hear on the records you're also gonna hear live, often because we have elements pressed onto vinyl. We can manipulate the string sections and tones with the transformer and the turntable. That song switches from the 6/8 to the 4/4, back to the 6/8, then into a huge, hard rock ending. I think those kinds of songs, that progress to long crescendos, are going to be high points as well.

DJ Chris Kilmore's turntable work is a major element of the band's live sound.

Dirk Lance: We've always looked at the turntable as another instrument, as opposed to somebody just scratching. Kilmore could be doing anything, from strings to background vocals to turntable parts to creating beats with our drummer. It allows us to do a lot of things we wouldn't be able to do unless we added a whole lot of extra members.

Boyd: Kilmore has whole harmony structures that I've created pressed onto vinyl that he'll spin behind my vocals sometimes. He also incorporates a theremin, which is really beautiful.

What are your thoughts about the use of electronic elements and turntablism in rock?

Boyd: I think it's sort of been exploited. A lot of rock bands are doing it for looks and not really for artistic merit or for what those elements make possible. A lot of them are doing it because they want that street cred onstage, which I think is hilarious. “We have to have this — otherwise we're not cool.” Whatever. We've been working with the turntable for a long time. We recognize it as an instrument that's as limitless as any other.

What other new songs are highlights of your live show?

Boyd: We started playing the first song, “Nice to Know You,” in Europe this summer, and the reaction has been amazing — even when the audiences didn't know the song. I think it's because it moves in so many directions. It goes from a drum 'n' bass-y verse to an almost Zeppelin-y prechorus. We want to continue adding layers to our show and take people on that journey. We want to deliver a show that's as multidimensional as possible. We don't want it to be just one thing catering to one type of person or one sort of vibe. We want it to be an all-around experience. Maybe we're asking too much, but it would be wonderful if people could walk away, almost confounded, going “they really took us on a little bit of a meandering stream.”

What are the challenges of taking such a multidimensional approach?

Lance: It's difficult live, because you want to keep people interested throughout an entire hour and a half while you're going through different kinds of songs and emotions. To work that into a framework that seems logical and to make that journey smooth is tough. When you play songs with all kinds of tempos and songs that deal with different feelings, you have to plan how it's going to be presented, because it could come across as veryquiztterbrained.

But could there be negative effects if things are too thought out?

Lance: Yes, and we definitely think about it too much. We argue amongst ourselves about what songs should be played, what songs shouldn't, and the order in which they should be played. It's a little pet peeve of mine that sometimes I think we take the presentation a little too seriously. I think it deserves some thought, but I know we overthink it.

What about the visual aspects of an Incubus show?

Boyd: We've stepped things up a bit lately technically. On our headlining tour, there is going to be more production — not in the Las Vegas sense with pyrotechnics and showgirls. But we are beginning to incorporate the visual aspect a little more, stuff that will complement the nuances in the music and the atmosphere. We've also let the music speak through our bodies.

Dirk, any thoughts about how you and drummer José Pasillas interlock and complement each other as a rhythm section?

Lance: Well, we've been playing together for ten years, so we anticipate each other quite well. He turned his drum kit partially sideways a while back. He didn't like looking at me, because I used to give him grief about tempos when we were starting. But after several records, we've become very comfortable playing with each other. And stylistically, I understand where he's coming from and where he's going. It helps me anticipate not only changes but also the dynamic of a song, especially when it comes to improvisation or writing.

Lance: It's different from song to song, and depending on whether it's something I wrote or something I'm just putting a bass line to, we need to understand where we're going and what we're trying to convey. When I first started playing in the band, it was all about playing as many notes as fast as possible and really showing off what I could do. As I've gotten a little bit older, I've realized that I don't always have to do that, and I'm getting a little more subtle.

Incubus performed with Primus several years ago; Primus is an interesting band from a bassist's perspective. Were you influenced by their bassist — front man, Les Claypool?

Lance: Absolutely. When we first started, Primus was definitely a big influence on the band, and we had our Primus rip-off songs before we got signed. The biggest influence Les had on me was the concept of lead bass, where most of their songs are based around bass lines. Everything followed those melodies and the rhythms he was setting. That not only helped me with what I was gonna do in this group, but I think it shaped us, early on, to be a bass-driven band.

Who's influenced you more recently?

Lance: In the past couple of years, it's definitely been Sting, because of his approach to songwriting and the way bass fits in with his music.

How does it fit in?

Lance: Because he's a songwriter linka singer, I think his take on bass in the context of a song is different than many others. He's focusing on what he's singing, and his bass playing accommodates that. So I'm looking at that approach rather than the style of someone who's playing bass to keep it really interesting and try new and tricky stuff.

Brandon, who are some of your direct influences?

Boyd: There are lots and lots. My mom is a singer, so I grew up listening to her sing. And my grandfather — her father — he used to play Spanish songs on a nylon-string guitar and sing us to sleep. You forget about that stuff sometimes, but it's so heavily influential, especially to a child's mind when he's falling asleep and in that half-awake state when he can be extremely influenced.

Aside from family, what recording artists have influenced you?

Boyd: Björk is a huge influence for a lot of the band. And she's an all-around artist — even a beautiful actress. I was also influenced by Jeff Buckley. And from an early age, I also enjoyed Faith No More quite a bit. So there've been lots.

Incubus performs some wonderful acoustic music in concert, including “Mexico,” from Morning View.

Boyd: It's a much-needed contrast that allows for a better appreciation of the surrounding colors. Have a little bit of purple in your green, and it makes the green seem greener. It's an element of our music, our fans, and of us, and we'd be shortchanging everyone if we didn't indulge in 3E E p>

Lance: We don't like saying we're just an electric band or just an acoustic band. We're just a band, period, and we choose to interpret some of our songs in different ways. We've done a lot of acoustic radio shows. A lot of the songs are written as acoustic numbers, then translated onto electric instruments. Sometimes we change the arrangements and the overall feel of the songs.

No group of musicians gets along all the time. What happens when the band gets into an argument before a gig? Is it tough to play?

Boyd: It can be difficult, but a lot of times, it can even create a better show. Frustration and annoyance is part of being human. We live in very close quarters with each other, so it's inevitable. I don't think we ever ruined a show from a couple of us being mad at each other — knock on wood. Sometimes it fuels a show. When we come offstage still pissed at each other, our manager will come back and say, “That was the best show you ever played.” It sometimes furthers the passion. Sometimes you can come offstage and forget that you were mad at that person, which is lovely too.

Lance: If we're trying to write a new set list, we try to do that earlier in the day so that if someone is unhappy about the way it's turning out, we try not to take the anger onstage with us.

Incubus's music often seems optimistic.

Boyd: I think it's probably a product of the way that we were raised by our parents — I was raised in an environment that I'm very thankful f']);26#8212; as well as the decisions we've made as adults.td3re are numerous ways to look at situations you're in. When you're faced with adversity, you can choose to acknowledge it as trouble or you can see it as a potential lesson. Even in the most horrible situations, you can really learn something beautiful. The music on Morning View is optimistic as far as content is concerned — even songs that may seem a little frustrated or angst-ridden. If you listen, you'll realize that most of them are still coming from a place of optimism because of the way that I've chosen to filter the frustration.

Incubus definitely differs from many contemporary hard-rock bands, especially nu-metal groups, whose music seethes with anger.

Boyd: In general, we're not an angry band; again, it probably comes down to the way we were raised. Sometimes when people ask about a band or artist's influences, they'll talk about other artists, which makes sense. But something that's sort of left out is the influence of the family.

I get angry sometimes, but I also get happy as well. If we were up there jumping around and screaming about how angry we are, we'd be lying. If I screamed at the kids and went, “Rah! I'm so angry!” some of them might identify with it. But I think a lot of what they identify with is just primal energy, which can be delivered without anger. Energy, even aggressive energy, comes in many different forms. Sexual energy — some do it angry, but some do it with a sense of fun and humility, and it's just as primal and just as powerful.

Lance: Some people have called our music self-help rock. If there's angst, there's usually a solution presented, as opposed to just going off about how angry we are. If 3Ctday we're angry, we say why and say what we're gonna do about it. Or what you can do about it.

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Jeff Perlah is a music journalist based in New York City and is the managing editor of Car Stereo Review's Mobile Entertainment magazine.