January 1, 2016
Around this time, Adam parts ways with his label, Republic Records, to produce music independently through the new label he established known as Sky Harbour Records. With Adam's split from the label, he is able to maintain the rights to his first two projects under Owl City, Of June and Maybe I'm Dreaming, as well as his Sky Sailing album, An Airplane Carried Me To Bed.
Adam reveals his new project, entitled "Adam Young Scores", where he creates an orchestral album for certain historic events.
Adam: "I am thrilled to announce a new Adam Young composer project. This is separate from Owl City. It is not merely one soundtrack to one movie, but an ongoing project that involves storytelling via multiple scores written for multiple events, both historical and imaginary -- all of which means a lot to me. This project is all about telling stories with music according to the imagination of one mind."
January 2, 2016
Adam provides more information on his upcoming conceptual "film score" project on Instagram. The project is announced to begin on February 1.
Adam: "I've wanted to do this since I was 16 years old and at long last, I can finally sit down and do it. I am going to create worlds, tell stories with music, capture imagination, history, adventure, tragedy, fantasy, drama, myth, legend and romance. 2016 is finally my opportunity to do what I've wanted to do for so many years. First album coming Feb 1. More details to follow."
January 5, 2016
Adam writes in detail about his new film score project on his blog.
Adam: "I wanted to be a composer ever since I was 16 years old. When I first discovered film music and the universe it occupies, I was hooked. My friends didn't get it, it wasn't cool to listen to orchestral music, but I didn't care. It was the first thing that made sense to me. At long last, I'm finally at a place in my life I have time to work on the really important things I've wanted to do for over a decade. Stories are infinite. They offer anyone, of any walk of life, the ability to retell them according to the way they personally imagine them. I want to create worlds with music that aid in the telling of stories that move one person, according to his own imagination. I am excited to share them with you."
February 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's first album, entitled Apollo 11 , is released.
Adam, on "Apollo 11": "If there was a historical event I wish I could've witnessed more than any other, it may well be the events that took place during July 16-24, 1969. Men went to the moon, returned to Earth, and history changed forever. For as long as I can remember, I've marveled at the story of the Apollo 11 mission, and the older I get, the more inspired I feel. In the history of mankind, perhaps no other technological leap forward symbolizes the same imagination, humanity and wonder quite like the Apollo 11 mission does, and it is these types of emotions I want to capture with music according to the way I feel them. This is my interpretation of what happened in July of 1969."
February 23, 2016
Andy Johnson goes to Twitter to posts a snippet of a demo of Adam's classic song entitled "The Saltwater Room", which reveals that the song originally had lyrics reminiscent of what later became "The Yacht Club".
March 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's second album, entitled RMS Titanic, is released.
Adam, on "RMS Titanic": "We all know the story. A century has passed since Titanic found its final resting place in the North Atlantic, yet the story is still as stirring as ever. I will never cease to be amazed at how vulnerable and fragile we as human beings are despite our presumptions of technological infallibility, and the story of Titanic drives that notion home tenfold. I wanted to capture feelings of excitement, premonition, and outright horror according to the way I imagine the story of the ill-fated luxury steamship. As such, this is my interpretation of the tragedy that shook the world."
March 14, 2016
Windsor Airlift's sixth album, The Moon's House, is released independently.
March 24, 2016
Adam releases a snippet of a track, entitled "Stars Appear", from his upcoming score in April.
April 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's third album, entitled The Spirit of St. Louis, is released.
Adam, on "The Spirit of St. Louis": "100,000 people welcomed Lindbergh as he landed in Paris after 33.5 hours in the air. Aviation history was made and Lindbergh became a hero. Such a daring feat has always stirred my imagination and I've often caught myself daydreaming about that first solo flight. Air travel is something I take for granted today, but things were very different in 1927. Lindbergh's groundbreaking triumph, after several others had tried and failed, will continue to inspire me for years."
April 2, 2016
Adam uploads a video on Instagram providing commentary on the first track on his new score album, The Spirit of St. Louis, entitled "Takeoff".
April 4, 2016
Adam writes a short excerpt on his blog discussing his favorite track on his new score album, entitled "The Fog". "Thoughts On The Fog"
April 6, 2016
Adam uploads a video on Instagram providing commentary on the eighth track on his new score album, entitled "Fighting to Stay Awake".
April 17, 2016
Adam releases a cover of the hymn entitled "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" as a tribute to Alex Shepherd almost a year after his passing. Adam attaches a statement to the cover, saying "This is for Alex, who has left us and gone to be with his Creator. I look forward to meeting you in heaven someday, my friend."
April 24, 2016
Adam writes an article on his blog. "One Time In 6th Grade"
May 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's fourth album, entitled The Ascent of Everest, is released.
Adam, on "The Ascent of Everest": "No one knew where the roof of the world was until the 19th century. By 1865, the highest peak was known as Mount Everest and it wasn't until May 1953 that a beekeeper from New Zealand and a Nepalese Sherpa became the first to reach the summit. My interpretation of this astounding human feat is a collection of frozen, wind-burned, sun-bleached instrumentals that became more and more tattered and torn as you listen to them. The higher Hillary and Norgay climbed, the more extreme the elements became. Despite great dangers, they succeeded and returned as heroes. Yet another example of man's triumph despite insurmountable odds, the ascent of Everest remains a story that will always inspire me."
June 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's fifth album, entitled Omaha Beach, is released.
Adam, on "Omaha Beach": "In 1944, after years of planning, the Allies launched an invasion upon Nazi Germany and converged on the coast of France, beginning the reclamation of occupied Europe. In anticipation, Hitler fortified German defenses in hopes of countering the Allies and driving them back into the sea. What the Allies didn't know as they stepped onto the shores of Europe was that Hitler was waiting for them. The ensuing battle was gruesome. At a place codenamed Omaha Beach, hundreds of Americans fought and died for the freedom of others, and it is the memory of these men I want to honor with this album. This is my interpretation of what occurred that fateful day in 1944 on Omaha Beach."
June 2, 2016
Adam writes a short excerpt on his blog. "Seasick"
June 13, 2016
Adam releases a cover of the Chris Rice song entitled "Untitled Hymn". Adam attaches a statement to the cover, saying "I recorded one of my favorite songs ever written. 'Untitled Hymn' by @ChrisRiceMusic".
July 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's sixth album, entitled Miracle in the Andes, is released.
Adam, on "Miracle in the Andes": "In 1972, a chartered flight carrying 45 people, including a Uruguayan rugby team, crashed in the Andes in an incident known as the Andes Flight Disaster. More than two months after the crash, only 16 survivors remained at the time of their rescue. It is an incredible story of human perseverance and the will to survive despite immense and immeasurable odds. I saw the 1993 movie Alive when I was 7 years old, and the story the film is based upon left an enormous impression on me which inspired a sense of awe and fascination I still carry today. In this score, I wanted to capture the emotions the survivors felt: fear, shock, horror, dread, dismay and anxiety -- but at the end of a very grim story, lies an overwhelming sense of victory, relief, triumph and elation because of the inextinguishable and undying power of the human spirit."
July 3, 2016
Adam writes a short excerpt on his blog. "Camera"
July 6, 2016
Adam writes a short excerpt on his blog. "Appreciate the Nuances"
August 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's seventh album, entitled Project Excelsior, is released.
Adam, on "Project Excelsior": "In 2005, Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada released a music video featuring footage from Joe Kittinger's famous parachute jump in 1960. That was my introduction to Project Excelsior, a series of high altitude jumps made by Kittinger from the edge of space with the purpose of testing parachute systems intended to be used by pilots ejecting from high altitude. In one of these jumps, Kittinger set world records for the highest parachute jump, the longest drogue fall and the fastest speed by a human through the atmosphere. Reading and daydreaming about Kittinger's feats have inspired me enormously over the years, and I believe the sense of wonder and awe they instilled in me can be heard in the music I create. This score is the way I imagine the tremendous bravery of one man who ascended to the edge of space, said a prayer, and jumped."
September 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's eighth album, entitled Corduroy Road, is released.
Adam, on "Corduroy Road": "Long have I been fascinated by the American Civil War and the men who fought in it. I love imagining the era, the clothing, the technology and the old-fashioned blood, sweat and tears of days gone by. One of my favorite stories is of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and his famous march to the sea. Sherman received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the Confederate States. 62,000 men marched toward Savannah, Georgia, living off the land and destroying everything in their path. A corduroy road is a type of road made by placing sand-covered logs perpendicular to the direction of the road resulting in an improvement over impassable terrain. These makeshift roads were used extensively in Sherman's campaign. Not long after Sherman captured Columbia, South Carolina, Lee surrendered and the war was over. Thus, this is my musical interpretation of the final march of the Civil War."
October 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's ninth album, entitled Voyager 1, is released.
Adam, on "Voyager 1": "Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA in 1977 as part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System. Having operated for the past 39 years, the spacecraft still communicates and returns data to us, and as of 2016, it is the farthest manmade object from Earth. When I picture Voyager 1 out there beyond our solar system, I can't help but imagine the things it has seen on its journey. It's flown by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and beyond. In 1990, it looked back and took an image known as the 'Pale Blue Dot' which shows Earth 6 billion kilometers away, a tiny white speck suspended in the darkness of deep space. It was this breathtaking image that inspired me to create this score because it reminds me that life, as far as we know, is unique to our planet, and very fragile indeed."
October 17, 2016
Adam announces the "Adam Young Scores Short Film Contest", in which fans ans aspiring filmmakers are tasked with creating their own original short films to represent one or two of Adam's scores released over the past year, with the deadline for entry being December 31.
October 30, 2016
Adam uploads a tutorial video to YouTube on layering samples in the program Logic.
November 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's tenth album, entitled Mount Rushmore, is released.
Adam, on "Mount Rushmore": "The southeastern face of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest is the site of four gigantic carved sculptures depicting the faces of U.S. Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Led by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, work on the project began in 1927 and was completed in 1941. During that time, 400 workers carved the sculpture under dangerous conditions, removing close to 500,000 tons of rock in order to create the enormous carved heads, each of which reach a height of 60 feet. In Borglum's original design, the four presidents were meant to be represented from the waist up but insufficient funding brought the carving to a halt after completion of their faces. This is my interpretation of the construction of America's 'Shrine of Democracy.'"
November 22, 2016
Adam writes about his final film score album of 2016 on Instagram, releasing on December 1.
Adam: "On December 1, I am releasing my 11th Adam Young album of 2016. Looking back on the 106 songs I've released this year, I sincerely thank you for allowing me to pause Owl City for a moment to focus on an important project I've been dying to work on for years. Instrumental music is nearer to my heart than any other genre, both as a listener and a creator, and your support has meant the world to me. After all this time, I've finally completed what I set out to do and I am excited to work on OC, but I am leaving the door open on the Adam Young project so that I may return to it as I please, create worlds and tell stories, whenever inspiration stirs me. What an incredible year 2016 has been for me and my story. To you the fans, I appreciate you more than I am able to describe."
November 24, 2016
Owl City's Christmas single entitled "Humbug" is released by Sky Harbor.
Adam, on "Humbug": "Every year it's the same thing: Christmas shopping stresses me out because I feel like I can never find the right gifts for my friends and family. I wrote this little tongue-in-cheek song to remind myself that Christmas isn't about finding the perfect present, it's about giving the people in your life the most valuable thing you have to give: your love."
November 25, 2016
Adam writes a message on Instagram, thanking fans for supporting him throughout the year, as well as promoting his newly-released Owl City single, "Humbug".
Adam: "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the last year of your support. Thank you for allowing me to pause Owl City for a moment to focus on a tremendously important project I've wanted to bring to life since I was 16 years old. The Adam Young project has been a dream come true because of your support. As a way of saying thank you, I am giving away a brand new Owl City song. It's called Humbug and it's a tongue-in-cheek parody of how Christmas shopping has a way of stressing me out every year. It's also a reminder that the greatest gift you can give the people you care about the most is of course, your love. Thanks again for allowing me to follow my heart and to chase my dreams. I appreciate you more than I know how to describe."
December 1, 2016
Adam Young Scores's eleventh album, entitled The Endurance, is released.
Adam, on "The Endurance": "In 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his crew sailed for the Antarctic in the vessel Endurance. Not long into their voyage, they encountered polar pack ice and progress slowed to a stop. The Endurance was within 200 miles of her destination when the ship became beset, and as the wind compressed the ice in the Wendell Sea against land, the Endurance was slowly crushed to death and the men forced to abandon her. How Shackleton managed to reach South Georgia and arrange for the rescue of his crew remains one of the greatest survival stories of all time. The incredible resilience of the crew of the Endurance, and of Shackleton himself, is one of my favorite historical accounts because it serves as a reminder to us all: when things look bleakest, not all is lost."
December 15, 2016
Lynz, a fan of Adam's music, records and uploads a full-length version of Adam's cover of the song entitled "Brave" on YouTube, SoundCloud, and iTunes.