(BBC) Owl City has taken the UK singles chart by storm with his debut track “Fireflies”, a catchy ditty written while 23-year-old Minnesota native Adam Young was suffering from a bout of insomnia.

The track which has sold more than 3 million copies in the US, gained momentum through his MySpace site, which counts nearly 400,000 friends; he was also included in the BBC Sound of 2010 list.

But Young’s friendly electro pop style has been criticised by some music fans for sounding too much like another US band, The Postal Service.

Young’s debut album ‘Ocean Eyes’ landed at number seven in the chart on Sunday.

Congratulations on the ornithological name, following in the footsteps of guys like The Byrds, Black Crowes and The Eagles. Any reason?

Thanks, but I really don’t have a good answer. It’s two words that make people ask that question – but the beauty of it may be in the ambiguity.

Tell us about the success of Fireflies, it seems to have come out of nowhere and has ticked all the right boxes for people. Did you know you had written a hit?

It was kind of the opposite, the song just seemed to write itself but there was a point when I was considering not putting it on the album and it stuck out compared with the rest and obviously the Postal Service comparisons are very common but I never imagined the song would do as well as it has, so I’m honoured.

How instrumental was getting the song heard on MySpace to its success?

I think it struck a certain chord and pricked up a lot of people’s ears, so I’m grateful for the response it got. I think it’s great how accessible music has become and how it can be discovered and devoured.

Without social networking sites, I wouldn’t be anywhere.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about how to deal with file-sharing, with some artists and labels in disagreement. Where do you stand on the issue?

Well, I used to be that high school kid with no money and if kids want to get their hands on the music, then have at it. There’s not any way really to stop them.

As long as they are making an effort to come and see shows. I’m just honoured that they want to hear my music at all. It’s better to embrace it than to fight it.

You mentioned the comparisons with The Postal Service (US electronic-indie band featuring Death Cab for Cutie vocalist Ben Gibbbard) earlier, are you bothered by them?

I think it’s honestly kind of an honour to be mentioned in the same sentence as The Postal Service though I never started out with any comparison or even any influence from them.

I do sort of see other people’s perspectives though it wasn’t at the front of my mind. It’s kind of ironic that since being grouped so closely to them, I’ve become a bigger fan of the band.

The album cover is a photo of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. Are you trying to get a free holiday there?

I had no idea where it was or what it was when I first saw it, I do now but I thought it encompassed the album title and I guess it was more of an aesthetic thing.

One of your songs, Dental Care, is about your terror of visiting your dentist. Is he aware that he has been immortalised in song?

I’m from a pretty small town and have had the same guy for years now and we’re friends and I don’t know if he’s heard that track. But if he did, I’m sure he would be very amused and not be offended.

You have a song on the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s new 3D Alice in Wonderland as well, that’s quite exciting.

Yeah, I haven’t spoken to him but I’ve always been a big fan of his work and some day film work is something I’d like to get into. He does the same kind of thing with visuals and images that I’m trying to do with music.