Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne was an American pop-rock band formed in New York City in 1996, known for their catchy melodies and humorous lyrics. The band was co-founded by Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, who had a musical partnership dating back to their college days at Williams College. Their initial success came with their self-titled debut album and the follow-up Utopia Parkway, which positioned them among the prominent power-pop acts of the late 1990s. The band's breakthrough came with the 2003 album *Welcome Interstate Managers*, featuring the hit single "Stacy's Mom," which garnered critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination. Over their career, Fountains of Wayne released several albums, noted for their contrasting songwriting styles, with Schlesinger's upbeat tracks often juxtaposed with Collingwood's more introspective lyrics. After a hiatus and challenges within the band, Fountains of Wayne disbanded in 2013. Tragically, Adam Schlesinger passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19, prompting a reunion of the remaining members for a charity performance in his honor. The band is remembered for their lighthearted storytelling and contributions to the pop music landscape.
Fountains of Wayne
Music group
Chris Collingwood
- Born: October 3, 1967
Jody Porter
Adam Schlesinger
- Born: October 31, 1967
- Place of Birth: New York City, New York
- Died: April 1, 2020
- Place of Death: Poughkeepsie, New York
Brian Young
- Adam Schlesinger
- Bassist and songwriter
- Brian Young
- Drummer
- Chris Collingwood
- Guitarist and singer-songwriter
- Jody Porter
- Vocalist and guitarist
Contribution: Fountains of Wayne was an American pop-rock band founded in New York City in 1996. In 2004 the band received two nominations at the Grammy Awards, best new artist and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal, for their 2003 single “Stacy’s Mom.”
Background
The core of Fountains of Wayne was established in 1986, ten years before the band’s formation, when band cofounders Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood met as students at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
The two young musicians would collaborate in a variety of different bands together during their time at Williams, eventually recording one album with the band name Pinwheel. Their collection of songs showcases the young duo’s love of British influenced pop-rock music. After college the two parted ways while remaining friends.
Schlesinger went on to cofound the indie-pop trio Ivy in New York City with Andy Chase and Dominique Durand. By the late 1990s Ivy had received underground critical acclaim and had amassed a loyal cult following. Settling in Boston and doing computer programming for a bank, Collingwood would continue his music career as part of the popular Boston-based Americana/country outfit the Mercy Buckets.
Upon their reunion Collingwood and Schlesinger formed a new band, Fountains of Wayne, deriving the new outfit’s name from a Wayne, New Jersey, lawn and garden store. After enlisting drummer Brian Young and guitarist Jody Porter, the band recorded a self-titled album in 1996.
Career
Fountains of Wayne’s self-titled debut and their 1999 sophomore release Utopia Parkway would each reap mild commercial and widespread critical success. The band’s early years would position the band as one of the more widely known representatives of the late nineties’ power-pop trend, alongside acts such as Semisonic and Jimmy Eat World. The band’s early music videos were also featured on such shows as MTV’s 120 Minutes.
Four years would pass between Utopia Parkway and the release of band’s third album. Despite their critical success, Atlantic Records dropped the band after they failed to live up to sales expectations.
Following the band’s departure from Atlantic, lead singer and guitarist Chris Collingwood questioned his motivation to continue in music. Burned out from the extensive travel and economic difficulties inherent in being a professional rock musician, Collingwood returned to computer programming.
However, connections with former Atlantic label associates would lead to another record deal for the band, this time with the upstart label S-Curve Records. The band then set to work on Welcome Interstate Managers, the record that would ultimately catapult them to stardom.
The album was released in June 2003 and quickly became one of the most commercially and critically successful albums of the summer. Rolling Stone praised Welcome Interstate Managers for both its cohesive and whimsical narrative thread about the daily struggles of American thirty-somethings and for the band’s trademark catchy hooks.
The release skyrocketed to popularity thanks in large part to the single and accompanying music video for the song “Stacy’s Mom,” about a suburban teenager who develops a crush on his girlfriend’s mother.
Scenes from the single’s video pay homage to the 1982 cult film Fast Times at Ridgemont High and feature supermodel Rachel Hunter. The song would receive a Grammy nomination for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal in 2004.
Fountains of Wayne went on to release three more full-length records. In general Schlesinger wrote literal, upbeat tracks while Collingwood's tended to be more obtuse and darker. While each album received critical praise, the success that “Stacy’s Mom” brought them would ultimately make the track their calling card.
Collingwood later recalled having withdrawn to address alcohol abuse and depression during the recording of Traffic and Weather (2007). He attributed his and Schlesinger's difficulty in restoring an equal partnership for 2011's Sky Full of Holes as one reason for the breakup of the band, which occurred after that album's release. The band played their final show together in October 2013.
After their breakup, several members of the band continued to create music. In 2016, Collingwood released an album under the group name Look Park. The same year, Porter and Young partnered with Schlesinger, who wrote and produced songs for the Monkee's album Good Times!. Schlesinger performed the same role for the Monkees 2018 album Christmas Party.
On April 1, 2020, Schlesinger died at the age of fifty-two from complications from COVID-19. Shortly after, the remaining members of Fountains of Wayne reunited to perform during a charity livestream to raise money for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. The band dedicated the performance to Schlesinger.
Impact
Fountains of Wayne achieved critical and commercial success for the lighthearted narratives, tongue-in-cheek humor, and memorable hooks that became hallmarks of the band’s catalog. Songwriting aficionados continually praised the catchiness of the band’s music.
They long remained one of pop music’s stark alternatives to the well-established stereotype of the brooding, self-righteous rock troupe, opting instead to use music as a means to express resiliency and joy while continually drawing on common themes prevalent in the lives of American young people.
Personal Life
All of the members of Fountains of Wayne pursued projects with other musicians and groups in addition to their work together. Schlesinger had a particularly accomplished career as a ghostwriter for such well-known musical artists as the Jonas Brothers and Katy Perry. He also composed music for Broadway—most prominently for the musical Cry-Baby, for which he was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for best original score with cowriter David Javerbaum. Schlesinger went on to compose the Damsels in Distress (2011) soundtrack with Mark Suozzo and to win three Emmy Awards for songs for the Tony Awards ceremony and the television show Crazy Ex Girlfriend.
Collingwood became sober around 2006. After Fountains of Wayne disbanded, Collingwood later became the leader of the band Look Park. Porter released an album in 2020 called Waterways and an EP entitled EP1 in 2023.
Bibliography
Collingwood, Chris. "Fountains of Wayne's Chris Collingwood Returns with New Project 'Look Park.'" Interview by Elise Hu. Weekend Edition Sunday, NPR, 24 July 2016, www.npr.org/2016/07/24/487237229/fountains-of-wayne-s-chris-collingwood-returns-with-new-project-look-park. Accessed 12 Nov. 2019.
Collingwood, Chris, and Adam Schlesinger. “Fountains of Wayne Celebrates Biz World.” Interview by Chris Morris. Billboard 14 June 2003: 15. Print.
Collingwood, Chris, and Adam Schlesinger. “Influences: Fountains of Wayne.” Interview by Kevin O’Donnell. Spin.com. SpinMedia, 29 July 2011. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
“Fountains of Wayne: Bio.” Fountains of Wayne. Fountains of Wayne, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
Hetrick, Adam. “David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger Authored Tony Awards Opening and Closing Numbers (Plus Video).” Playbill.com. Playbill, 11 June 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
Leahey, Andrew. “Fountains of Wayne.” AllMusic.com. Rovi Music, 2013. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
Maffei, Ryan. "At Every Speed: An Interview With Jody Porter." Rock and Roll Globe, 4 Sept. 2023, rockandrollglobe.com/rock/at-every-speed-an-interview-with-jody-porter/. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.
Myers, Paul. "Fountains of Wayne: Ironic No More." Paste Magazine, Paste Media Group, 3 Aug. 2011. Web.
Schlesinger, Adam, and Chris Collingwood. “Fountains of Wayne Talk Dark New Disc.” Interview by Peter Gerstenzang. Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 17 June 2011.
Schlesinger, Adam, and Chris Collingwood. “Interview: Fountains of Wayne.” Interview by Stephen Thompson. AVClub.com. Onion Inc., 6 June 2001. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.
Sisario, Ben. "Adam Schlesinger, Songwriter for Rock, Film and the Stage, Dies at 52." The New York Times, 16 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/arts/music/adam-schlesinger-dead-coronavirus.html. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.