Adam Young of Owl City started off his music career writing and sequencing songs in his parent’s basement in Minnesota. In a recent interview with 99.7 NOW/San Francisco Young explained that his parents really didn’t get what he was up to during those long hours in the basement.

“Shouldn’t you be doing homework or getting ready for work?” Young described his parents take on his music as: “Get off the computer. Stop playing games!”

All the while Young was working on the material that would eventual change from MySpace obscurity into an international success.

What Young was really doing was “sequencing and programming and doing really cool stuff.”

Young elaborated on his parent’s perception. ”Stop playing Minesweeper and do some real work! Put on some pants and get out of the house for a second.”

In the end, Young had the last laugh though with tracks like “Fireflies” and “Good Time” with Carly Rae Jepsen. Young will be doing some real work outside of the house when he hits the road supporting Maroon 5 on their North American tour starting February 13, 2013 in Columbus, OH.

-Bradford Hornsby, 99.7 NOW/San Francisco