Just 31 miles from Albert Lea the small town of Owatonna, Minn. there is a modest house on a quiet road. In that house there is a basement where 23 year old Adam Young creates his entrancing, electronic melodies which have won over numerous fans around the globe.
From an early age Young has suffered from insomnia, so to make his nights worthwhile he started making his own music in his parents’ house basement, hence the name of his project, Owl City. A computer and several instruments provided an escape from his sleeping patterns. He eventually combined those diversions into a blend of electronica and emo-pop, using his computer and various keyboards to record the material.
Young is the only name to Owl City. His extreme rise to fame came after he had simply posted some of his music on his MySpace profile, which has received more than 25 million plays on some tracks. But how exactly does a young artist writing songs underneath his garage reach an audience of millions? Nobody can be sure.
In 2007, Owl City came out with the self-released album Of June, and in 2008 the album Maybe I’m Dreaming was released. The two records were released when Young was unsigned. Early this year, Owl City signed with major label Universal Republic. He then came out with the four singles “Hello Seattle,” “Hot Air Balloon,” “Strawberry Avalanche” and “Fireflies” leading up to the release of his newest album, Ocean Eyes.
“Fireflies” was first released as a free download on iTunes. The song became a huge hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in late October. It has also topped iTunes charts.
Owl City’s album Ocean Eyes is definitely one to sink into. Young is influenced by disco and European electronic music, something new to the sounds of the radio. The sound is not something one would usually hear among the top songs in the nation, but has proven itself to be quite an addicting phenomenon.
Virtually nobody is making music resembling what Owl City has created. With a new album scheduled for a fall release, fans are eagerly waiting for what Young comes up with next. It’s clear that, from his basement, Owl City is creating quite an impact on the music scene.