Owl City
Encyclopedia
Owl City is an American electronica
musical project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young formed in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota
. Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Like many musicians who achieved success in the late 2000s, Owl City developed a following on the social networking site Myspace
before signing with Universal Republic
in 2008.
After two independent releases, Owl City gained mainstream popularity with the 2009 major label debut album Ocean Eyes
, which spawned the quadruple-platinum hit single "Fireflies". The album was certified Platinum in the United States in April 2010.
In 2011, Owl City released its third album entitled All Things Bright and Beautiful
.
while working loading Coca-Cola
trucks in his hometown, Owatonna, Minnesota
, Young turned to composing music. He began uploading songs recorded in his parents' basement to Myspace
. He started to receive favorable attention for his music and then helped cultivate this nascent fanbase by being an open and accessible web presence, responding to any messages he received and constantly posting blogs. His manager Steve Burksy later highlighted the significance of Young's engaging online manner in building his following saying: "People feel like they know him, like they've got a direct connection to him because of how he approaches his connection with them online." Through a deal with the digital aggregator CD Baby
, he then started making the songs available for sale through iTunes. In 2007, Owl City released an EP
titled Of June
, followed by the 2008 release of the album Maybe I'm Dreaming
. Of June reached No. 15 on the Billboard
Electronic Albums chart, and Maybe I'm Dreaming peaked on the same chart at No. 13.
The viral phenomenon that was building through Myspace caught the attention of Universal Republic presidents Avery and Monte Lipman
who approached Young with a view to signing the artist. Republic recommended Young partner up with 27-year-old manager Steve Bursky of Foundations Artist Management and the two began working together in late 2008. When later asked by HitQuarters
why the label chose him for a major label act given his relative inexperience, Burksy said:
Owl City's label deal with Universal Republic was finally confirmed in February 2009. According to Bursky there was initially some disagreement about the direction Owl City should follow, telling HitQuarters: "They were ready to send him into the studio with big producers and polish him up to try to become this thing that he wasn't. But we put our foot down and said, 'Look, the reason you signed this kid is because it’s working. Whatever it is about him - his music, his interaction with his fans, his brilliance in the online space - these things are connecting with people, and as soon as you change that you lose what’s special about this artist.' To their credit, they really listened and they got it."
, Owl City's third full-length album and major label debut, was released on iTunes
on July 14, 2009, with the physical release following on July 28, 2009. The album debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200
. Owl City has released three official singles
from this album: "Umbrella Beach
", "Vanilla Twilight
" and "Fireflies". "Fireflies" topped the US and Canadian charts. Ocean Eyes reached the top ten on the US album charts, topped the US electronic charts, and also reached Amazon MP3's top 10 most downloaded album list. By April 2010, it was certified Platinum in the United States. On January 24, 2010, Owl City reached the No. 1 spot in the UK Top 40 Singles chart with "Fireflies". The song "Tidal Wave" also received significant airplay on Christian music radio stations. On January 2, 2011, it was revealed "Fireflies" was the 20th most downloaded song of all time in the UK.
Young is joined by Breanne Düren
on several tracks; the most noted being "The Saltwater Room". Owl City's live band consists of Breanne Düren (background vocals/keyboards), Casey Brown (drums), Laura Musten (violin), Hannah Schroeder (cello), and Daniel Jorgensen (vibes).
Relient K
vocalist Matt Thiessen
has toured and collaborated with Owl City on several tracks, including "Fireflies", where Matt can be heard providing the backup vocals. Young also produced Relient K's song "Terminals".
"Fireflies" was released as a free download on the game Tap Tap Revenge 3 by Tapulous
. Prior to the July 14, 2009 internet release of Ocean Eyes, and the "Fireflies" single, Steve Hoover was hired as a director for a music video for "Fireflies". The video was to have had an exclusive premiere on MySpace
, but had been leaked onto YouTube
and Dailymotion
hours earlier. "Fireflies" became a big sleeper hit
, topping the Billboard Hot 100
in the United States for the week ending November 7, 2009.
Owl City is featured on Soundtrack 90210
with a song titled "Sunburn", which was released on October 13, 2009. Owl City has toured with The Scene Aesthetic
, Lights, John Mayer
, Maroon 5
and Brooke Waggoner. He was also guest featured in the soundtrack to Tim Burton
's Alice in Wonderland
with a song entitled "The Technicolor Phase" that had already been featured in his debut album.
In 2010, Young revealed a new musical project known as Sky Sailing
, which moved away from his usual electronica
genre of music and introduced acoustic guitar
and piano
accompaniments into his work. The unrefined tracks were recorded in the summer of 2007 before he began making music as Owl City. His first album under this new project is entitled An Airplane Carried Me to Bed
, and was released July 13, 2010 via iTunes
.
In May 2010, Adam Young collaborated with high-profile British electronic composer, producer, musician, and songwriter Nick Bracegirdle. Under his Chicane
alias, Bracegirdle released the single "Middledistancerunner
" on August 1, 2010 featuring Adam Young on vocals. This is the first single from the fourth Chicane album Giants
. He also worked with famed Dutch producer Armin van Buuren, appearing on a track called 'Youtopia' from the forthcoming van Buuren album Mirage
on September 10, 2010.
On September 21, 2010 "To the Sky" was officially released via iTunes on the soundtrack for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole.
On October 25, 2010, Young released a cover version
of the praise and worship song "In Christ Alone" as a streaming mp3 on his website,
On November 13, 2010, a new album was also released for one of his other musical projects, "Windsor Airlift
", called "Flight" on iTunes.
On November 23, 2010, a new Christmas single called "Peppermint Winter
" was released. A preview had been released the previous week on Facebook
.
would be released on May 17, although that date was subsequently pushed back to June 14. On March 1, he announced via his website the All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour featuring recording artist Mat Kearney and Unwed Sailor. All Things Bright and Beautiful
presale and tour ticket presale started March 22.
On March 22, 2011, the debut single off the album called Alligator Sky
was released on iTunes
. Three versions have been released so far, with a version featuring only Adam Young on vocals and another featuring Young as well as guest rapper Shawn Chrystopher
, and, and B.O.B, each version having different lyrics in the verses. Adam Young also released a song "Lonely Lullaby," available through the Owl City Galaxy iOS
app. Previews of three songs, "Honey and the Bee", "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust", and "Deer in the Headlights", could be heard in a making-of video posted on the official website. People were also able to pre-order All Things Bright and Beautiful
on iTunes
starting then.
On April 6, 2011, Adam Young released a statement on his website, along with lengthy previews of four of his songs (Dreams Don't Turn to Dust, Alligator Sky Ft. Shawn Chrystopher, Galaxies, and Deer in the Headlights), that the release date for All Things Bright and Beautiful
would be pushed back to June 14. His song 'The Yacht Club' features electropop singer Lights, who opened for him during his 2010 tour.
On April 19, 2011, Galaxies
was released as the second single from the album. Since the release of "Ocean Eyes
" in 2009, Galaxies became Owl City's second-highest charting single of all time, Fireflies being the highest.
On May 6, 2011, Owl City released the music video for "Alligator Sky
". Young discussed the concept in a making-of video, "So the concept is basically about these two guys who are leaving Earth. Rather than it being this very dark post-apocalyptic vibe, it's very optimistic, and so it's like people are excited to leave earth." Beginning on May 16, 2011, Adam Young released different parts of his new song 'Deer in the Headlights' each day.
On May 20, 2011, almost all of All Things Bright and Beautiful
leaked onto the internet, "Shy Violet" was not among the leaked tracks.
On May 23, 2011, 'Deer in the Headlights' was released on iTunes. On June 14, 2011, 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' was released on iTunes. On June 30, 2011, the music video for 'Deer in the Headlights' was released. It features Young driving the DeLorean
featured in "Back to the Future
" and Lights appears as a special guest. Young sees himself at the end, in the space suit that he wore in the Alligator Sky music video. This is after he drives the DeLorean to 2015, the year Doc and Marty traveled to in Back to the Future Part II
.
On July 19, 2011, "Lonely Lullaby" was released as a single on iTunes. This makes the track available outside of Owl City Galaxy members. For press for Young's latest album, he was featured in the August issue of Cliché Magazine. Giving an interview, and gracing the cover. The article also features some of Young's very own art work. On July 21, 2011, at his Club Nokia concert, Adam Young announced that they were filming this live concert for a DVD release by the holiday season.
On August 23, 2011, it was announced that Owl City and the indie-pop band He Is We
are collaborating on a song that was released on August 30. On September 21, A DVD preview video of Owl City performing "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" at the Club Nokia concert was posted on VEVO.
On the 28th November 2011, the music video for "Youtopia", by Armin van Buuren, featuring Adam Young, was released on YouTube. The song gained 100,000 views in just two days.
and synthpop
and is often described as belonging under the broad "alternative music" label. Young has stated that he is inspired by disco
and European electronic music
, as well as instrumental genres such as drone, ambient, and post-rock. He cites his biggest influences as Johnathon Ford of Unwed Sailor and Thomas Newman
. Young also incorporates a large amount of his Christian
faith into his music, since he is a vocal Christian. Young's faith is evident on the new album, "All Things Bright and Beautiful", especially in "Galaxies". Explaining why the faith-filled song was added to the mix, he said, "I feel like if I were ever to hide the fact that that’s what’s so important to me, it would be a crime, that I should probably be put in jail for that."
Owl City also has been compared to The Postal Service
, often critically, for his combination of fuzzy synths, ironic lyrics and use of female guest singers. Pitchfork.com goes far enough to say that "The surprise No. 1 single in the country, Owl City's 'Fireflies,' jacks the Postal Service in such a bald-faced, obvious manner that getting into specifics feels redundant at best and tacky at worst." In response to the suggestion that his work is derivative, Adam Young suggested in a 2009 interview with The New York Times
that Ocean Eyes is perhaps the "next chapter" after American band The Postal Service
: "The Postal Service released a record in 2003, and that was it. There was really nothing to compare it to until some one else came along and wrote the next chapter. Maybe that's this record. Maybe that's this band."
, and Swimming with Dolphins
. Most of these projects were started before Owl City propelled Young to fame. Many of these projects were formed alongside some friends, including Austin Tofte of Swimming with Dolphins.
Young was featured on the track "All About Us" by He Is We
released on August 29, 2011, on iTunes. He was also featured on the track "First Noel" on TobyMac
's album Christmas in Diverse City
released October 4, 2011.
Current touring members
While Young writes, composes, records, and produces all of Owl City's music, during live performances he is accompanied by a group of supporting musicians:
Studio albums
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
musical project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young formed in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
. Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Like many musicians who achieved success in the late 2000s, Owl City developed a following on the social networking site Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
before signing with Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
in 2008.
After two independent releases, Owl City gained mainstream popularity with the 2009 major label debut album Ocean Eyes
Ocean Eyes
Ocean Eyes is the second full-length album by electropop act Owl City. It was made available for download on July 14, 2009, on iTunes, and on September 1, 2009 it was released in stores with a photograph of the Burj Al Arab as its album artwork. A vinyl edition and a two-disc Deluxe Edition of the...
, which spawned the quadruple-platinum hit single "Fireflies". The album was certified Platinum in the United States in April 2010.
In 2011, Owl City released its third album entitled All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful (album)
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
.
Early years (2007–2009)
Suffering from insomniaInsomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
while working loading Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
trucks in his hometown, Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
, Young turned to composing music. He began uploading songs recorded in his parents' basement to Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. He started to receive favorable attention for his music and then helped cultivate this nascent fanbase by being an open and accessible web presence, responding to any messages he received and constantly posting blogs. His manager Steve Burksy later highlighted the significance of Young's engaging online manner in building his following saying: "People feel like they know him, like they've got a direct connection to him because of how he approaches his connection with them online." Through a deal with the digital aggregator CD Baby
CD Baby
CD Baby is an online music store specializing in the sale of CDs and digital music downloads from independent musicians to consumers. The company is also a digital aggregator of independent music recordings, distributing content to several online digital music retailers.CD Baby has achieved recent...
, he then started making the songs available for sale through iTunes. In 2007, Owl City released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Of June
Of June
Of June is the first release by synthpop act Owl City. It was uploaded by Adam Young on MySpace.Following the surprise success of Owl City's second album, Ocean Eyes, Of June was pressed and re-released by Universal Republic on March 30, 2010....
, followed by the 2008 release of the album Maybe I'm Dreaming
Maybe I'm Dreaming
Maybe I'm Dreaming is the debut album by American synthpop act, Owl City. It was released December 16, 2008. Despite having been self-released and not recorded by any major producer, it managed to reach the top 20 of the Billboard Electronic Music Album Chart...
. Of June reached No. 15 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Electronic Albums chart, and Maybe I'm Dreaming peaked on the same chart at No. 13.
The viral phenomenon that was building through Myspace caught the attention of Universal Republic presidents Avery and Monte Lipman
Monte Lipman
Monte Lipman is an American music industry executive. He is presently the President and CEO of Universal Republic Records.In the current era of record company transition, Lipman transformed his own start-up label, Republic Records, into an autonomous imprint in 2005 – Universal Republic Records,...
who approached Young with a view to signing the artist. Republic recommended Young partner up with 27-year-old manager Steve Bursky of Foundations Artist Management and the two began working together in late 2008. When later asked by HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
why the label chose him for a major label act given his relative inexperience, Burksy said:
"I think they saw Owl City as representing the future of our business. This idea of a kid in a tiny town in rural U.S. being able to make songs in his basement that sound like Top 40 radio could never have happened ten years ago. By hiring a young management company who understands the business circa 2011 over a seasoned industry vet, who might not understand the online spaces well, showed a lot of understanding of where this kid was going to end up having success."
Owl City's label deal with Universal Republic was finally confirmed in February 2009. According to Bursky there was initially some disagreement about the direction Owl City should follow, telling HitQuarters: "They were ready to send him into the studio with big producers and polish him up to try to become this thing that he wasn't. But we put our foot down and said, 'Look, the reason you signed this kid is because it’s working. Whatever it is about him - his music, his interaction with his fans, his brilliance in the online space - these things are connecting with people, and as soon as you change that you lose what’s special about this artist.' To their credit, they really listened and they got it."
Ocean Eyes (2009–2010)
Ocean EyesOcean Eyes
Ocean Eyes is the second full-length album by electropop act Owl City. It was made available for download on July 14, 2009, on iTunes, and on September 1, 2009 it was released in stores with a photograph of the Burj Al Arab as its album artwork. A vinyl edition and a two-disc Deluxe Edition of the...
, Owl City's third full-length album and major label debut, was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on July 14, 2009, with the physical release following on July 28, 2009. The album debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Owl City has released three official singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from this album: "Umbrella Beach
Umbrella Beach
"Umbrella Beach" is a song by Owl City. The song was released as the third single from his second album Ocean Eyes. It is the second UK single from the album and had a May 16, 2010, release date in the US, and was released May 17, 2010, in the UK.The album cover is a picture of the beach at Santa...
", "Vanilla Twilight
Vanilla Twilight
"Vanilla Twilight" is a song by Owl City. The song was released as the second single from his second studio album Ocean Eyes,. "Vanilla Twilight" attained chart placement prior to the release date, following the success of Owl City's previous single "Fireflies".-Music video:The music video for...
" and "Fireflies". "Fireflies" topped the US and Canadian charts. Ocean Eyes reached the top ten on the US album charts, topped the US electronic charts, and also reached Amazon MP3's top 10 most downloaded album list. By April 2010, it was certified Platinum in the United States. On January 24, 2010, Owl City reached the No. 1 spot in the UK Top 40 Singles chart with "Fireflies". The song "Tidal Wave" also received significant airplay on Christian music radio stations. On January 2, 2011, it was revealed "Fireflies" was the 20th most downloaded song of all time in the UK.
Young is joined by Breanne Düren
Breanne Düren
Breanne Düren is an American musician, most notable for her work with electronic music project Owl City and her own solo work.-Early Years:Born as Breanne Elizabeth Dürenberger on October 9, 1987 , she shortened her name to "Breanne Düren" during college for performance purposes. As a child,...
on several tracks; the most noted being "The Saltwater Room". Owl City's live band consists of Breanne Düren (background vocals/keyboards), Casey Brown (drums), Laura Musten (violin), Hannah Schroeder (cello), and Daniel Jorgensen (vibes).
Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
vocalist Matt Thiessen
Matt Thiessen
Matthew Arnold Thiessen is a Canadian-American musician, known for being co-founder, lead singer, guitarist, pianist, and primary songwriter for the Christian rock band Relient K. With Relient K, he has released six full-length albums, including three that were certified Gold, and three that...
has toured and collaborated with Owl City on several tracks, including "Fireflies", where Matt can be heard providing the backup vocals. Young also produced Relient K's song "Terminals".
"Fireflies" was released as a free download on the game Tap Tap Revenge 3 by Tapulous
Tapulous
Tapulous, Inc. is an American software and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Palo Alto, California. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company as part of the Disney Interactive Media Group...
. Prior to the July 14, 2009 internet release of Ocean Eyes, and the "Fireflies" single, Steve Hoover was hired as a director for a music video for "Fireflies". The video was to have had an exclusive premiere on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, but had been leaked onto YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and Dailymotion
Dailymotion
Dailymotion is a video sharing service website, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement, Paris, France. According to Comscore, Dailymotion is the second largest video site in the world after YouTube....
hours earlier. "Fireflies" became a big sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
, topping the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the United States for the week ending November 7, 2009.
Owl City is featured on Soundtrack 90210
Soundtrack 90210
-Soundtrack songs used in 90210 episodes:...
with a song titled "Sunburn", which was released on October 13, 2009. Owl City has toured with The Scene Aesthetic
The Scene Aesthetic
The Scene Aesthetic is an American two-piece acoustic/indie pop band based in Seattle, Washington, featuring Andrew de Torres of Danger Radio and Eric Bowley.-History:...
, Lights, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
and Brooke Waggoner. He was also guest featured in the soundtrack to Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
with a song entitled "The Technicolor Phase" that had already been featured in his debut album.
In 2010, Young revealed a new musical project known as Sky Sailing
Sky Sailing
Sky Sailing is an acoustic musical project by Adam Young of Owl City. It is largely acoustic and recorded on piano and acoustic guitar.-History:...
, which moved away from his usual electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
genre of music and introduced acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
accompaniments into his work. The unrefined tracks were recorded in the summer of 2007 before he began making music as Owl City. His first album under this new project is entitled An Airplane Carried Me to Bed
An Airplane Carried Me to Bed
"Sailboats", was first released under another project 'Seagull Orchestra' but was re-recorded and changed somewhat for release under Sky Sailing. The title of the album was also taken from this track, the lyrics for which can be heard at the start of one of the verses in the song.- Personnel :Sky...
, and was released July 13, 2010 via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
In May 2010, Adam Young collaborated with high-profile British electronic composer, producer, musician, and songwriter Nick Bracegirdle. Under his Chicane
Chicane (recording artist)
Chicane is a British electronic dance music act, and the guise of British musician, composer, songwriter and record producer, Nicholas Bracegirdle....
alias, Bracegirdle released the single "Middledistancerunner
Middledistancerunner
"Middledistancerunner" is the second official single taken from the 2010 Chicane album Giants. It features American musician and vocalist Adam Young . The single was digitally released 1 August 2010.-Music video:...
" on August 1, 2010 featuring Adam Young on vocals. This is the first single from the fourth Chicane album Giants
Giants (album)
Giants is the fourth studio album by British electronic dance music artist Chicane. It was released in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2010. The album's first official single, "Middledistancerunner", featuring the vocals of Adam Young was released on the same day...
. He also worked with famed Dutch producer Armin van Buuren, appearing on a track called 'Youtopia' from the forthcoming van Buuren album Mirage
Mirage (Armin van Buuren album)
Mirage is the fourth studio album by Dutch trance producer and DJ Armin van Buuren, it was released on September 10, 2010. It was preceded by the release of the lead single, "Full Focus" on June 24, 2010...
on September 10, 2010.
On September 21, 2010 "To the Sky" was officially released via iTunes on the soundtrack for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole.
On October 25, 2010, Young released a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the praise and worship song "In Christ Alone" as a streaming mp3 on his website,
On November 13, 2010, a new album was also released for one of his other musical projects, "Windsor Airlift
Windsor Airlift
Windsor Airlift is an American ambient rock musical project by Andy Johnson, Anthony Johnson, and Adam Young, who is the founder of Owl City.-History:...
", called "Flight" on iTunes.
On November 23, 2010, a new Christmas single called "Peppermint Winter
Peppermint Winter
"Peppermint Winter" is a song by American synthpop act Owl City. The song was released on November 22, 2010 as a promotional single, and also serves as a Christmas single. It was first made available on November 22, 2010.-Meaning:...
" was released. A preview had been released the previous week on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
All Things Bright and Beautiful (2011–present)
It was announced that All Things Bright and BeautifulAll Things Bright and Beautiful (album)
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
would be released on May 17, although that date was subsequently pushed back to June 14. On March 1, he announced via his website the All Things Bright and Beautiful Tour featuring recording artist Mat Kearney and Unwed Sailor. All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful (album)
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
presale and tour ticket presale started March 22.
On March 22, 2011, the debut single off the album called Alligator Sky
Alligator Sky
"Alligator Sky" is a song by American synthpop artist Owl City from his third studio album All Things Bright and Beautiful. It was released as the lead single from the album on April 12, 2011...
was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Three versions have been released so far, with a version featuring only Adam Young on vocals and another featuring Young as well as guest rapper Shawn Chrystopher
Shawn Chrystopher (rapper)
Shawn Chrystopher Garrett, II better known by his stage name Shawn Chrystopher, is an American rapper and music producer. He first gained major attention with the release of his debut mixtape "I.W.G.: I Wear Glasses" in 2008, which was sponsored by urban-clothing powerhouse LRG...
, and, and B.O.B, each version having different lyrics in the verses. Adam Young also released a song "Lonely Lullaby," available through the Owl City Galaxy iOS
IOS
iOS is an operating system for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.IOS may also refer to:-Companies and organisations:* Illinois Ornithological Society, American state-based bird club...
app. Previews of three songs, "Honey and the Bee", "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust", and "Deer in the Headlights", could be heard in a making-of video posted on the official website. People were also able to pre-order All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful (album)
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
starting then.
On April 6, 2011, Adam Young released a statement on his website, along with lengthy previews of four of his songs (Dreams Don't Turn to Dust, Alligator Sky Ft. Shawn Chrystopher, Galaxies, and Deer in the Headlights), that the release date for All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful (album)
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
would be pushed back to June 14. His song 'The Yacht Club' features electropop singer Lights, who opened for him during his 2010 tour.
On April 19, 2011, Galaxies
Galaxies (song)
"Galaxies" is a song by Owl City, released on April 19, 2011. It is the second single from his fourth album, All Things Bright and Beautiful. It is said to be about the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster...
was released as the second single from the album. Since the release of "Ocean Eyes
Ocean Eyes
Ocean Eyes is the second full-length album by electropop act Owl City. It was made available for download on July 14, 2009, on iTunes, and on September 1, 2009 it was released in stores with a photograph of the Burj Al Arab as its album artwork. A vinyl edition and a two-disc Deluxe Edition of the...
" in 2009, Galaxies became Owl City's second-highest charting single of all time, Fireflies being the highest.
On May 6, 2011, Owl City released the music video for "Alligator Sky
Alligator Sky
"Alligator Sky" is a song by American synthpop artist Owl City from his third studio album All Things Bright and Beautiful. It was released as the lead single from the album on April 12, 2011...
". Young discussed the concept in a making-of video, "So the concept is basically about these two guys who are leaving Earth. Rather than it being this very dark post-apocalyptic vibe, it's very optimistic, and so it's like people are excited to leave earth." Beginning on May 16, 2011, Adam Young released different parts of his new song 'Deer in the Headlights' each day.
On May 20, 2011, almost all of All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Bright and Beautiful (album)
All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
leaked onto the internet, "Shy Violet" was not among the leaked tracks.
On May 23, 2011, 'Deer in the Headlights' was released on iTunes. On June 14, 2011, 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' was released on iTunes. On June 30, 2011, the music video for 'Deer in the Headlights' was released. It features Young driving the DeLorean
DeLorean time machine
The DeLorean time machine is a fictional automobile-based time travel device featured in the Back to the Future trilogy. In the feature film series, Dr...
featured in "Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
" and Lights appears as a special guest. Young sees himself at the end, in the space suit that he wore in the Alligator Sky music video. This is after he drives the DeLorean to 2015, the year Doc and Marty traveled to in Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
.
On July 19, 2011, "Lonely Lullaby" was released as a single on iTunes. This makes the track available outside of Owl City Galaxy members. For press for Young's latest album, he was featured in the August issue of Cliché Magazine. Giving an interview, and gracing the cover. The article also features some of Young's very own art work. On July 21, 2011, at his Club Nokia concert, Adam Young announced that they were filming this live concert for a DVD release by the holiday season.
On August 23, 2011, it was announced that Owl City and the indie-pop band He Is We
He Is We
He Is We is an indie pop band from Tacoma, Washington. The band is made up of Trevor Kelly and Rachel Taylor. They met while working at Ted Brown Music Company, a music store in their home town of Tacoma, Washington. They each realized that the other had talent and began to play small gigs...
are collaborating on a song that was released on August 30. On September 21, A DVD preview video of Owl City performing "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" at the Club Nokia concert was posted on VEVO.
On the 28th November 2011, the music video for "Youtopia", by Armin van Buuren, featuring Adam Young, was released on YouTube. The song gained 100,000 views in just two days.
Musical styles and influences
Owl City's music is described as indietronicaIndietronica
Indietronica is a music genre that combines indie, electronica, rock and pop music. Typical instruments used in indietronica music are electronic keyboard, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine...
and synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and is often described as belonging under the broad "alternative music" label. Young has stated that he is inspired by disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and European electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, as well as instrumental genres such as drone, ambient, and post-rock. He cites his biggest influences as Johnathon Ford of Unwed Sailor and Thomas Newman
Thomas Newman
Thomas Montgomery Newman is an American composer and conductor, best known for his many film scores. He is one of the more respected and recognized composers for modern film and has scored over fifty feature films in a career which spans nearly three decades.Newman has received a total of ten...
. Young also incorporates a large amount of his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith into his music, since he is a vocal Christian. Young's faith is evident on the new album, "All Things Bright and Beautiful", especially in "Galaxies". Explaining why the faith-filled song was added to the mix, he said, "I feel like if I were ever to hide the fact that that’s what’s so important to me, it would be a crime, that I should probably be put in jail for that."
Owl City also has been compared to The Postal Service
The Postal Service
The Postal Service is an American electronic indie pop band composed of vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset.-Background:...
, often critically, for his combination of fuzzy synths, ironic lyrics and use of female guest singers. Pitchfork.com goes far enough to say that "The surprise No. 1 single in the country, Owl City's 'Fireflies,' jacks the Postal Service in such a bald-faced, obvious manner that getting into specifics feels redundant at best and tacky at worst." In response to the suggestion that his work is derivative, Adam Young suggested in a 2009 interview with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that Ocean Eyes is perhaps the "next chapter" after American band The Postal Service
The Postal Service
The Postal Service is an American electronic indie pop band composed of vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset.-Background:...
: "The Postal Service released a record in 2003, and that was it. There was really nothing to compare it to until some one else came along and wrote the next chapter. Maybe that's this record. Maybe that's this band."
Other projects
Young also produces music under a wide variety of other projects, which include Port Blue, Dolphin Park, Windsor Airlift, Insect Airport, Seagull Orchestra, Novel, Aquarium, Sky SailingSky Sailing
Sky Sailing is an acoustic musical project by Adam Young of Owl City. It is largely acoustic and recorded on piano and acoustic guitar.-History:...
, and Swimming with Dolphins
Swimming With Dolphins
Swimming with Dolphins is a synthpop band from Minnesota, US. It was formed in 2008 by Austin Tofte and Adam Young, of Owl City. After gaining considerable mainstream popularity, Adam Young left the band to focus on Owl City. The band released one EP, called Ambient Blue. Since Young left the...
. Most of these projects were started before Owl City propelled Young to fame. Many of these projects were formed alongside some friends, including Austin Tofte of Swimming with Dolphins.
Young was featured on the track "All About Us" by He Is We
He Is We
He Is We is an indie pop band from Tacoma, Washington. The band is made up of Trevor Kelly and Rachel Taylor. They met while working at Ted Brown Music Company, a music store in their home town of Tacoma, Washington. They each realized that the other had talent and began to play small gigs...
released on August 29, 2011, on iTunes. He was also featured on the track "First Noel" on TobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
's album Christmas in Diverse City
Christmas in Diverse City
Christmas in Diverse City is TobyMac's first full-length Christmas album and fifth full-length studio album. It was released on October 4, 2011.- Tracklisting :6 of the 13 tracks are songs by Tobymac's Diverse City band...
released October 4, 2011.
Band members
Current members- Adam Young – lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, synthesizers, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
Current touring members
While Young writes, composes, records, and produces all of Owl City's music, during live performances he is accompanied by a group of supporting musicians:
- Breanne DürenBreanne DürenBreanne Düren is an American musician, most notable for her work with electronic music project Owl City and her own solo work.-Early Years:Born as Breanne Elizabeth Dürenberger on October 9, 1987 , she shortened her name to "Breanne Düren" during college for performance purposes. As a child,...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals, is featured on several songs on Owl City albums. ("The Saltwater Room", "Honey and the Bee", etc.) - Daniel Jorgensen – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.... - Laura Musten – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Hannah Schroeder – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Casey Brown – drums
Discography
Extended Plays- Of JuneOf JuneOf June is the first release by synthpop act Owl City. It was uploaded by Adam Young on MySpace.Following the surprise success of Owl City's second album, Ocean Eyes, Of June was pressed and re-released by Universal Republic on March 30, 2010....
(2007)
Studio albums
- Maybe I'm DreamingMaybe I'm DreamingMaybe I'm Dreaming is the debut album by American synthpop act, Owl City. It was released December 16, 2008. Despite having been self-released and not recorded by any major producer, it managed to reach the top 20 of the Billboard Electronic Music Album Chart...
(2008) - Ocean EyesOcean EyesOcean Eyes is the second full-length album by electropop act Owl City. It was made available for download on July 14, 2009, on iTunes, and on September 1, 2009 it was released in stores with a photograph of the Burj Al Arab as its album artwork. A vinyl edition and a two-disc Deluxe Edition of the...
(2009) - All Things Bright and BeautifulAll Things Bright and Beautiful (album)All Things Bright and Beautiful is the third studio album by American electronic act Owl City. It was released on June 14, 2011.-Writing and development:...
(2011)