Pattaya Mail holds an exclusive interview with Owl City’s Adam Young
Among the very well known superstars performing at the Silver Lake Music Festival 2012 was Adam Young of Owl City, who gave a stirring live performance of his hit songs including ones from his latest albums, “Ocean Eyes” and “All Things Bright and Beautiful”, drawing thunderous cheers and applause from his tens of thousands of Thai and international fans.
Sue K of PMTV had the pleasure of interviewing this young musical heartthrob after his show and both shared a lot of laughter in the process:
Owl City perform at the Silver Lake Music Festival 2012.
PM: First of all welcome to Thailand, Adam.
Adam Young: Thank you, it’s great to be here.
PM: This is your first time in Thailand but you’ve been to many Asian countries before. How do you see the reception of the audience differing from country to country?
Adam Young: Honestly across the board it’s been very good. I don’t think we’ve been to a country where the reception was bad. It’s very cool for me, because I’m just a small town guy and never thought I’d be coming so far away here like Thailand, so it’s very cool.
PM: So your first visit here then. Do you have any preconceptions about what Thai culture is like?
Adam Young: Not really… no, really not much, but I know that Thai food is very good. Back in the States I always get Pad Thai (laughs).
PM: Ok, now back to you. Your famous trademark is about how you experimented and came up with great music from the basement of your parents’ home. Did you finally get your own place and does it have a basement? (laughs)
Adam Young: Yes, I finally I got my own place and yes it does (have a basement). That’s where I work. I get the best ideas underground.
PM: And you also have insomnia; that must be a blessing because you produce your best work when you can’t sleep
Adam Young: Exactly.
PM: What has been the best music you produced when you couldn’t sleep?
Adam Young: It’s got to be “Fireflies”.
PM: There was this music video “Deer in the Headlights” where you get into a car and starts to see all these images in the sky, and suddenly you see this beautiful girl who turns into an elderly Sikh man … with an Indian music in the back ground. Was that your idea?
Adam Young.
Adam Young: (Laughs) No that was the filmmaker’s idea.
PM: So can you tell is about your new album now, or the ones coming out?
Adam Young: Actually there’s a new one coming out that’s yet to be named, but hopefully coming out this July, but the most recent one is “All Things Bright and Beautiful”, before that “Ocean Eyes”, before that “ Maybe I’m Dreaming”, and the first EP I released was “Of June.”
PM: What kind of music would you call them?
Adam Young: They’re all grounded in the electronic world, but kind of pop electronic hybrid.
PM: Do you sometimes want to go back and make conventional music and not the electronic ones?
Adam Young: Sometimes, yes, it depends on the day, sometimes I say, “Let’s make an acoustic album”, and I’ll get into that mindset, but it’s something about electronic music that keeps me coming back to it, I just love drum samples, and all those programs that are technology based.
PM: If you have to make music with a conventional instrument, what would that be?
Adam Young: Probably acoustic piano. I just love how piano is so universal, there’s something inspiring about sitting down at the piano, without wires, circuits, just this beautiful wooden organic piano.
PM: Who’s your role model?
Adam Young: My role model gotta be this Irish singer called Enya.
PM: How do you want your fans to see you?
Adam Young: I guess I would love it if the fans saw me as somebody who was so passionate about making music that could make you feel like you can sort of go anywhere and do anything , forget about the world and get lost in that music.
PM: Do you have a special someone?
Adam Young: Right now no, I don’t (laughs).
PM: Let’s say if you did, what kind of song would you write for her?
Adam Young: Romantic songs. It might be a challenge but I’m looking forward to doing that some day, write a special song for someone.
