Owl City is the electronic brainchild of Adam Young, who launched the project in 2007 while living at his parents' home in Owatonna, MN. Troubled by insomnia, Young began spending his evenings in the household basement, where a computer and several instruments provided a welcome diversion from his sleeping patterns. He eventually combined those diversions into a blend of electronica and emo-pop, using little more than his computer and various keyboards to record the material.
Songs were uploaded to MySpace upon completion, and Young began attracting a surprising amount of attention on the networking site. Of particular note was "Hello Seattle," a fabricated ode to the Emerald City whose viral popularity earned Young a record contract with Universal Republic. Ocean Eyes, his debut release for the label, arrived in 2009, coinciding with Owl City's first national tour.
Being an only child in a small town, and having no musicians in his immediate family, Adam is hard pressed to say how it all started. Explaining that he always had a "push" to be creative, Adam picked up his first guitar in junior high school.
Growing up in a "sheltered bubble" and being one of the more shy kids around the neighborhood, Adam seemed compelled to lend his time and creative ideas to music.
"I've always been the shy guy, I don't see that changing, but I definitely feel a lot more comfortable than I anticipated. I can hide behind the music."
