What Brandon Boyd, Incubus Frontman, Eats for Breakfast

From surfing to smoothies to Americanos, here's how Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd starts his day.

February 3, 2014

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Welcome to My Morning Routine, where we take a look at how people (i.e., celebrities) kickstart their days. In this installment, Brandon Boyd, Incubus lead vocalist and, most recently, half the driving force of Sons of the Sea (touring now), tells us about his love of sunrise surfing, his unstoppable coffee habit, Pilates, and what keeps him sane when he's touring.**

Early to Rise, Early to Surf

I usually get up at about 7:30. But if there is a good swell, I'll get up at any horrific hour of the dawn for the waves. I surf a little bit less this time of year, but I'm in the water most of the time when I'm home in Los Angeles.

Breakfast is All About Smoothies

"Before I do anything, my breakfast is some form of a green smoothie. Usually my girlfriend makes it—she's a smoothie guru. The smoothies are an off-colored green so they probably look disgusting, but taste incredible. It's a mélange of fresh fruits, vegetables, VitaMineral Green powder, and almond milk."

No Milk, Please

"I was born lactose-intolerant, so no ice cream for this kid. Even if I could tolerate it, it's not great for a singer's voice. My girlfriend and I are both gluten-free and dairy-free, and over the years, we've learned there are so many wonderful things to eat that contain neither."

Extreme Local Produce

"Most of our produce comes from a friend's farm in Topanga canyon, but if there's something we can't find there, we'll go to a farmers' market. We're kind of hippies, I guess you could say."

Tea Every Day...

"If we surf for a long time, we'll eat again when we get out of the water. If it's a quick surf, we'll just have tea. My girlfriend studies traditional Chinese tea ceremonies, so we have a room in our house that's specifically designated for tea. She has a beautiful collection of teas and cups. If I'm home, we drink it every day. You probably couldn't count how many different types of teas that she has."

...But I Need My Coffee, Too

"I do drink coffee in the morning, though. I really enjoy it. There's something about coffee that's part of my ritual every day that my brain and body really like. A lot of people say coffee's bad for you, but so far, coffee's been really good for me. I make an Americano with Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso beans, and then I take it black with a little bit of maple syrup."

A Little Biking, a Little Pilates

"I exercise in some way, shape, or form every morning. I like to start my day with that. My area of L.A. is quite flat, so I love riding my bicycle. I occasionally do Pilates—I was skeptical at first, but after two sessions, I was like…whoa. I had a series of terrible injuries about 10 years ago, then they relapsed at a certain point. After the second relapse, I started taking Pilates more seriously and it's been really good for me."

Life on the Road

"When I'm on tour, I bring my bicycle or skateboard with me. Not only as a way to exercise but also as a way to escape the tour-bus bubble. Especially in the States—all those big outdoor venues look identical to each other. You play a show, get on the bus, wake up in the next city, go out the bus door, and it looks exactly the same. It keeps turning into a Groundhog Day situation, or a Twilight Zone episode. There's the danger of being on stage and saying, "Hey Vegas!" and you're in Tucson. I did it only once, a year ago. I greeted the wrong city in Texas. But exploring on my bicycle has allowed some cities to surprise me in unexpected ways. We played in Fargo once 10 years ago, and I found a cool, weird antique shop with beautiful old prints. Touring is exhausting, but it has its definite rewards and surprises that can happen here and there."