I don’t think much of Owl City’s music, but after reading this brief profile in the New York Times I’m beginning to feel sorry for one-man-band Adam Young. He’s about to get royally screwed and he doesn’t seem to realize it. He sounds as naive as his records. Even Avery Lipman, the co-president of his label, Universal Republic, admits as much. This is what he says about their first business meeting:
“It was the most bizarre meeting I’ve ever had,” Mr. Lipman said. “I actually had to discuss and explain the record business 101. I had to explain to him what a record company is, the need for a lawyer, a manager, a booking agent. It was actually kind of tough.”
Which didn’t stop him, of course, from finding Young a manager (a fairly inexperienced one by the sound of it), signing him to a long-term contract, and waging a stealth campaign to make it look like Owl City wasn’t signed to a label at all. I have a feeling that it won’t be long before Young is living in his parent’s basement again.
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