Black Lives Matter

I’ve been going back and forth on whether to make this post, torn between wanting to respond to the current moment and not wanting to make a performative gesture. Ultimately, while I am a White man from a rural town in England with no expertise or special insight, it feels right to use what little platform I have to draw attention to the real and urgent needs of the Black community, as well as to affirm some basic truths.

So, let me be clear: Black lives matter.

No doubt some may read this and think “this is just a music blog, why have you got to get political?”. But music doesn’t exist in a vacuum and it cannot be discussed meaningfully outside of its context. The history of music is inextricably tied up in the history of race, just as every person who produces and consumes music today is affected by race. All music is inherently political, inherently racial.

This is no less true for Incubus. The band members themselves are racially diverse, and I’ve always appreciated the wordless statement of inclusivity and acceptance that this portrays. Mainstream Rock music is a space occupied predominantly by White people, so it can’t be overstated the value of having Black (and Latino) representation in the band, both for fans and for those aspiring to work in the music industry. What’s more, Rock, as well as the other genres Incubus is built on – Funk, Jazz, Hip-Hop – are genres pioneered by Black artists. Without them there would be no Incubus, nor in fact would there be most of the music we hear on the radio today.

The band themselves are never shy to use their platform to draw attention to social and political issues – most recently making statements affirming their commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement. Kilmore has even gone so far as to put out a mix, Musical Activism (BLM), in response to the current wave of protests. In the Instagram post accompanying the mix he writes that “it was an incredible release of heavy emotions happening now and throughout our history”, and all that emotion is keenly felt throughout the 51 minute runtime, from extremes of lament to joy. The mix takes us on a tour of Black artists from across the last century, both in their music and their speech, including but not limited to: Herbie Hancock, Nina Simone, Childish Gambino, Gil Scott-Heron, Edwin Starr, Bill Withers, Bob Marley, and 13 year old Keedron Bryant, the incredible voice from a video that has gone viral in the past few weeks. Keedron’s plea of “I just want to live” is one of the truths that I’ve been attempting to grapple with from my position of privilege – the fact that Black people are not asking for anything radical, as talk of protests and activism might lead you to believe, but just safety, just dignity, just humanity. That Black people still need to ask for these things, have ever needed to ask for these things, is unspeakably shameful. Justice is long overdue and will require the wholesale dismantling of systemic racism, including defunding of the police.

I don’t wish to make this post overlong. Below I offer some links that I have found helpful recently for engaging in active antiracism in the hope of bringing about that justice. And please get in touch with the ways that you yourselves have been able to get involved with Black Lives Matter projects. I’m always trying to be a better ally on these issues and I’m not averse to critique and direction, so if you have advice for how I can tackle these topics in my writing then I’m all ears.

DJ Kilmore’s Musical Activism Mix: https://m.mixcloud.com/Kilmore/musical-activism-blm/

Antiracism resources for White people: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic

List of US bail funds you can donate to: https://bailfunds.github.io

PDF of Guthrie Ramsey’s Race Music, an excellent history of Black music: https://t.co/rhEep2U5Mg?amp=1

I Want To Stay Inside

As the opening chords of Pardon Me swell around the Red Rocks Amphitheater at the end of their 2004 dvd recording, Brandon quips “We live in strange, strange, strange, strange times, so whenever we get the chance to do this, we make the most of it”. The line has for some reason always stuck with me, and today it’s a sentiment that has never felt more true.

I write this at the end of my second day in self-isolation, as I along with millions of people attempt to come to terms with a world made unrecognisable by the omnipresent shadow of COVID-19. Each day is more bewildering than the last; the future has been erased. There is no certainty any more, just anxiety, and waiting.

It is this combination of anxiety and waiting that has prompted me to pick this blog back up. The last few days I’ve seen shared all over social media the inspiring and wonderful ways people have coped with isolation and uncertainty, many choosing to channel their energies into creative projects. Unfortunately I can’t crochet or paint, but I can do this. I never intended to let this blog fall to the wayside, I have thought about it regularly, life has just crowded it out. Now, presented with nothing but empty time, this feels like some way to claim back something positive and meaningful, even if it’s just words in to a void.

This is my way of heeding Brandon’s advice to make the most of what beauty and light is available to us. The world is bleak and it looks that it will only become bleaker in the coming weeks and months. And while I am not misguided enough to think that art and optimism will outweigh the material pain we face, I do believe there is great worth in celebrating the glimpses of goodness that are still to be found. I’m grateful that I can turn to Incubus for comfort food at this moment. A few short, distant weeks ago I got tickets to see them play Make Yourself in full at the Royal Albert Hall in June. At this point it looks entirely unlikely that will happen as scheduled, and I can only hope that postponement is all I have to worry about, but knowing that somewhere on the other side of the chaos I have something to look forward to, even something as trivial as a rock concert, that is precious to me.

I have had a draft for my next blog entry written since last summer and haven’t got round to finishing it. I’ll have it posted soon. In the meantime I’ll finish today’s post with one of my favourite Kurt Vonnegut quotes, one that Brandon echoes:

“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmer or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.'”

Take Flight

Hello.

Welcome to Enjoy Incubus?, a blog dedicated to the discussion of the band Incubus and their music. This blog actually began life as a podcast of the same name, in which a friend and I would discuss one of the band’s albums for an episode at a time. At time of writing we only managed to get organised enough to record two episodes, but the project had the upshot of really getting me thinking about the band. A lot.

Anyone who has more than a passing relationship with music will know what it is to have that one special artist who stands above the rest. That artist who becomes entwined in your identity, whose music is an inextricable part of your personal testimony. For me that band is Incubus, and they became my obsession around the time of my 12th birthday. For several years as far as I was concerned they were the absolute pinnacle of musicianship, songwriting, creativity, artistry. They helped me navigate all of those uncharted teenage emotions, gave form to the kind of person I could become during such a malleable stage. Incubus changed my life.

Needless to say however, time marches on, tastes change. I discovered different music, and though Incubus have always remained close to my heart, I no longer hold them in such unimpeachable standing. With the benefit of hindsight I can see more clearly their flaws and pitfalls, but also can appreciate what made them and still makes great.

And so it feels like I’m at an interesting point in which I can truly work through how I feel about the band and the many years of history I have with them. My plan with this blog is to write about each individual song in order of their release. On the one hand I will be discussing the songs critically, but will also be reflecting on what they meant to me as a teenager, what they mean to me now, and recalling all the memories that I associate with the band. And I won’t be limiting myself strictly to the songs, I will likely throw in some pieces about concerts, band history, etc etc.

Ultimately my aim is to approach this blog simply as a fan. As you can already tell, I am no writer, though this does provide a great opportunity to practice that skill and I hope that if you choose to follow this blog you will see improvement. Whether or not I have particularly profound thoughts on the output of Incubus is to be seen, but hopefully I will encapsulate the heart of what it means to love a band and in that you may find something that resonates with you. I’m going to aim to be generously positivite – it’s far more fun to read something enthusiastic and open than it is to read someone’s complaints. That being said, I also want to be honest and wrestle with any disappointments I may have.

There are bound to be contradictions and thoughts that don’t quite make sense. That’s just what happens when you have a longstanding emotional connection with art. Frankly I love those little inconsistencies and arbitrary lines we draw, and while you’re welcome to call them out and discuss them with me, don’t expect any apologies.

If you love Incubus, or music in general, then I hope you find value in these thoughts. Please interact and offer your own opinions, I welcome any chance to chat about this band.

It’s so much better when everyone is in. Are you in?