Interview w/ Mike Einziger of Incubus (Sponsored by TuneTalk)

I went for the Video Conference w/ Mike Einziger of Incubus which was sponsored by TuneTalk and the awesome guy & CEO of TuneTalk, Jason Lo. Thank you TuneTalk and the show was MC-ed by Jin from Hitz FM. There was a lot of media there and most of these (actually all) questions were asked by other media and the three winners of an Incubus Contest. I was seating all the was at the back jotting down what was asked and answered. Uhh, enough about that and lets get on with the interview shall we?


What do you remember most about Malaysia the last 2 times you played here?
I remember these really nice horses at the place we played, I wanted to go for a ride but there just wasn't enough time and I would love to ride them someday.

You took some time off in between albums. What have you guys been up to inbetween?
Let's see... Brandon (Boyd, singer), he focused a lot of his energy and time on painting, Jose (Pasillas) our drummer recently had a baby, a couple of years ago, but I'll say it was recent. Ben (Kenney, bassist) and Chris (Kilmore, DJ) came up with a lot of music together on their own, and I've been in university studying for the last 2 years at Harvard, and it's been one of the best experiences I've had in my entire life. I did a few orchestral ensembles, scored a few films- I recently did the score for a film that Kirsten Dunst was directing, which was really great to work with her.

How did you fit the orchestral elements you learned in college into the Incubus sound?
It's kind of all over this new album; there are strings in all of the songs. So yeah, you can hear it there, it's the very first thing you hear on the album when you put on the first song. It's an orchestration I did for the title track and appears at the beginning and middle of the song. I wouldn't say classical music brings a different vibe to Incubus music, but I would say that the time I spent studying music and particular music history had a large impact on me as a musician, as a person, and that would uninevitably find its way into the songwriting. I dunno if it's the most quantifiable thing I can put my finger onto, but it's definitely changed the way I write music for sure.

What was it like getting back to the studio for the latest album?
The last record was Light Grenades and that was 5 years ago. We toured so much to promote the album so we decided to take time to do other things as well as take a break. So when we came back to the studio make the album we were all re-energized.

Do you think rock music is still relevant in today’s day and age?
Rock music is always relevant. It is an important medium for young people. It is more relevant now than ever.

If you had to pick, which is your favorite Incubus album?
Wow. All the albums mean so much to us. We love all of them. Asking us to pick one is like asking us to pick a favorite child. You can’t do that. But if I had to say, the newest album is always our favorite.

Anything you want to say to your Malaysian fans for their support?
We can’t wait to come there. We are gonna ROCK YOUR FACES OFF!

Jason also presented ‘Incubus Live in KL’ concert tickets to 3 lucky winners of a contest on Hitz FM radio station during the event. From L to R: Heng Pao Ying, Ong Shyne Sze and, Norhalina Mohamad Termidzi

(Questions by the Winners)

We heard you cried when you saw the lyrics Brandon wrote for the new album coz they were so emotional, honest and had deep meaning. What gave Brandon the courage to bring out those emotions and translate them into brilliant lyrics?

First of all, I am the luckiest person to play in a band with the best singer of our generation. He is undoubtedly intelligent being able to mask his emotions behind big words and rhetoric but for this record Brandon made a major step forward with a more personal and deeper approach. In this album you will find simple, straightforward lyrics.

If you guys could bungee jump from the Petronas Twin Towers would you do it? Then do it after the concert.

We would love to do it but not if you want to have a concert. Well, you all have to thin about whether you want to have more than one concert. :)

There you have it, straight from Mike Einziger. Below we have promotions from TuneTalk and posters of Incubus LIVE in KL.

TuneTalk will be organising a Battle of the Bands (BoB) in conjunction with ‘Incubus Live in Kuala Lumpur’, where both Incubus and the fans will have a say in selecting the concert’s opening act. Incubus will decide on 40% of marks while the fans will vote for the remaining 60%. More information will be announced on TuneTalk website: HERE! and its Facebook fan page: HERE!

TuneTalk subscribers will also enjoy a whopping 20% discount at selected outlets to purchase Incubus latest CD ‘If Not Now, When?’ courtesy of Sony Music. On top of that, 50 lucky Incubus fans from amongst TuneTalk Mobile Prepaid subscribers will stand a chance to party like a rockstar with their idols at a pre and post-concert party.

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Important Details Includes:

Pineapple Concerts along with official partners Tune Talk & Air Asia RedTix have put up ticket sales at the Air Asia RedTix website: HERE!

Date: July 23, 2011

Venue: Stadium Merdeka, KL

Time: 8PM Onwards

Tickets: RM203 (Normal Price), RM183 (10%OFF for Tune Talk Subscribers)

More details on this promo, you can head on to HERE!

By;

Asyari Amir

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