Brandon Charles Boyd (born February 15, 1976) is the lead vocalist and percussionist of the alternative rock band Incubus. He was born in Van Nuys, California. Brandon Boyd grew up in Calabasas, California. His parents Dolly and Charles, both of whom had experience in entertainment, had nurtured his creative side since he was a child. He had first met Jose Pasillas in elementary school in the 1980s, but it wasn't until high school that he was asked to join a band that already included Jose, Mike Einziger, and Alex Katunich. Brandon's vocal abilities, which were for the most part self taught (he had taken two lessons before he ran out of money, but he claims he learned everything he would need), proved to be the final essential element for the band. As they developed more and more songs, the band quickly became a popular show around the neighborhood. When the band decided to play their first show together at a friend's house, the time came to choose a band name. Brandon's suggestion, "Spiral Staircase," was denied in favor of Mike's suggestion, selected at random from a dictionary: Incubus. Brandon put his other artistic talents to good use, drawing concert flyers advertising their early performances. At first, Brandon had copied several drawings from a sex education book that Mike's mother had given them, but he decided to stop using it after several prospective fans had been confused by their flyers ("What kind of band is this?"). His strong voice was part of what attracted Sony's Epic/Immortal Records, and the band signed a deal in 1996. The band's first two releases on label, Enjoy Incubus and S.C.I.E.N.C.E. went largely unnoticed, but subsequent releases Make Yourself and Morning View were huge commercial successes. The band's most recent release, If Not Now, When? has contributed to the continuation of its large success despite the fact that it boasts a new playing style (one that is much more down-tempo) that had not been utilized in the past. Over the years, Brandon's lyrics have expressed a range of different ideas. His early work, which was often light and playful, was no doubt influenced in part by his use of marijuana. According to Brandon, after smoking his first joint with his older brother Darren, the poetic floodgates had been opened inside of his brain. His first artistic love, however, remains drawing. Before the band decided to concentrate on music full time, he and Jose had attended Moorpark College full time as art students.