Owl City 'wrote 'Fireflies' with insomnia'

Owl City star Adam Young has revealed that his insomnia helped him create 'Fireflies'.

The 23-year-old explained that he wrote the single, which was number one in the UK for three weeks, when he couldn't sleep.

"I have a bit of a problem falling asleep," he told the Daily Record. "Strangely enough it is when I can't sleep that I tend to find most inspiration. I was up late and in the basement one night when I wrote 'Fireflies'. I was sitting at the keyboard just fooling around, not really trying to write anything.

"Over the next couple of hours that song came together in the most natural way. I can't explain it but it almost wrote itself. I didn't have any idea at that moment that I had written a hit."

Young added: "It came together and I never imagined people would connect with it the way they have started to do. Knowing it has been number one for a few weeks in the UK is unbelievable. It's something I never imagined for that song."

Young also explained that he is still struggling to get a good night's sleep.

"It's kind of a blessing and a curse in a way because inspiration strikes the most at the point I am about to fall asleep," he said. "I've been clinically diagnosed but it can be a good problem to have. As long as I get three to five hours sleep any time during the day I am usually good to go.

"It is random but it is convenient in a way because it means I can get a lot of work done due to the fact that I am not getting off to sleep every night."

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