Quickie Q&A: Owl City

(Credit: Pamela Littky)

Owl City is: Adam Young and friends
Hometown: Owatonna, Minn.
Latest project: A new single, “Umbrella Beach,” from the hit album “Ocean Eyes,” and a world tour
Sounds like: Blippy electro-pop for the post-emo generation
Biggest claim to fame: “Fireflies,” which has sold over a million copies
Official Web site: http://www.owlcitymusic.com/

Lady Gaga may have gotten all the attention, but it’s fair to say that 2009’s other breakout pop star was a low-key kid from rural Minnesota who had one of the year’s biggest hits with “Fireflies,” an insanely catchy little tune about insomnia and lightning bugs. Fans fell in love with Owl City’s quirky, wide-eyed lyrics and bouncy melodies; detractors dismissed the project as a Postal Service knockoff, citing similarities in production style and Adam Young’s Ben Gibbard-like vocals. But one listen to the rest of Owl City’s major label debut album, “Ocean Eyes,” and it’s pretty clear that Young has his own unique methods for making synth music with soul.

Is it fair to say that you’re now Owatonna’s biggest claim to fame? What else does Owatonna have going for it?
Well, we have a lot of water towers. And a really sweet Applebee's…
 
A lot of journalists refer to your style of music as “bedroom electronica.” Was any of “Ocean Eyes” recorded in an actual bedroom?
It was actually recorded in my basement, so I guess that makes it “basement electronica”?
 
Let’s put the Postal Service comparisons to rest once and for all. Who are your real influences?
Mostly instrumental ambient music, oddly enough. I don't listen to much music with lyrics, so a lot of different things come into play when it comes to influence. I really connect with certain moods that I discover in film soundtracks. My two biggest musical influences are Jonathan Ford from Unwed Sailor, and composer Thomas Newman.
 
Your Twitter feed is a non-stop pun-fest. [Recent example: “I once directed a high school play about fishing. It had a great cast.”] If this whole Owl City thing doesn’t work out, have you considered a career in standup comedy?
That option hadn't crossed my mind yet. Considering how much I disliked speech class in high school, though, a comedy career may not work out.
 
Speaking of puns: Has your dentist heard your song “Dental Care”? Did he appreciate your “I know the drill” joke?
No, I stopped going to the dentist years ago. I actually have dentures.
 
A lot of your fans will probably be seeing you live for the first time on this tour. What can they expect? Stage diving? Laser light shows?
They can expect me and five of my best friends. Matt hits drums, Breanne sings melodies and plays the ivory, Laura bows violin, Hannah plucks cello, Daniel plays percussion, and I play synth and guitar.
 
Looks like you’ll be on the road almost non-stop until May. What’s the first thing you hope to do when you finally get a break?
Challenge myself to the biggest donut-hole eating contest the world has ever seen.