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Adam Young, the one-man band best known as Owl City, became one of the world's most famous people virtually overnight in 2009, thanks primarily to his monster hit single "Fireflies" from his platinum-selling debut, Ocean Eyes. He's toured the world, played hundreds of shows, and says he's grown up quite a bit since—but he's still just as shy as he's ever been.

Adam Young is Owl City

Which is why when we asked for an interview to discuss his new album, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Young opted to do the Q&A via e-mail—just as he did when we interviewed him last year. Young says his shyness "certainly hasn't decreased by any means" and "telephone conversations still terrify me." We didn't want to terrify the guy, so e-mail it was.

In this digital conversation, we talked to Young about his sudden fame, his new album, his relentless schedule, his "romantic butterflies," and his faith. Young says, "Music is something that I can't imagine living without, and though it means more to me than the world itself, there is something that weighs significantly heavier on the scale of all things valuable and important in my life, that being my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am completely and utterly bereft of speech at how the Lord has chosen to use music in my life and what I do as Owl City."

When we last traded e-mails, your life was nuts—a grueling world tour, a lack of sleep, always on the move, barely a moment to relax. When you finally had a chance to slow down, what did you do?

The past twelve months have certainly been a whirlwind, and I could probably count the number of off-days I've had on one hand. But when your career revolves entirely around your passion, it's not a bad way to work by any means. The day after I returned home from the Ocean Eyes world tour, I started pre-production on All Things Bright and Beautiful. The day after I turned it in to the record label, I was out the door preparing for the upcoming six months of touring. Life is a roller coaster indeed! But at the end of the day, I always find myself on my knees thanking the Lord for allowing me to do what I'm most passionate about. There's no end to my sincere appreciation for the blessings I've been given.

How did overnight success affect you, for better or worse?

Despite the tidal waves of new situations and life scenarios mixed with heavy doses of insanity, I believe I've emerged from the smoke and debris a bit older and wiser. My innate level of shyness certainly hasn't decreased by any means (telephone conversations still terrify me), but I feel as though I'm able to tackle new endeavors and adventures in a healthier way than I was able to before any of this happened. The journey has seasoned me in a manner of speaking, and I feel like I've gained a bit of courage despite the onslaught of awkward uncertainty for such an introverted guy.

Album Cover

Why did you title the new album All Things Bright and Beautiful?

The Anglican hymn as well as the James Herriot book were a big part of growing up for me. I was raised singing the hymn in church, and my mother was a huge fan of Herriot's literary works and always had them around the house. The title was floating around in my head for who knows how long before I put two and two together and said, "That's it. That's what the new record has to be called."

How is the new album similar to Ocean Eyes, and how is it different?

A lot of inspiration found its way into this new record specifically regarding vocals. I spent the last twelve months onstage singing my lungs out in front of two thousand people every evening, and I grew pretty comfortable with the dynamic energy of that kind of atmosphere. I'd say the biggest step up in All Things Bright and Beautiful has to do with the lead vocal. It's more powerful, it's more aggressive when necessary, it's far less processed and Auto-Tuned; it's just more gutsy and bold. I'm not really a singer by nature, so that was a big step for me. Beyond that, the album feels a lot more conclusive; I believe it sounds more "finished" than Ocean Eyes does. The album was written, recorded, produced and engineered all in one room by one person, and thus I think it has a "watertight" quality to it that makes for a very definitive final product. My fingerprints are all over it!

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