Granted, when you think of the New Jersey music scene the first artist to pop into your head is not Fountains of Wayne. But with an RIAA-certified gold single and an Oscar nomination under his belt (for writing the title track to That Thing You Do), band co-founder Adam Schlesinger has had a fruitful indie rock career. Fountains of Wayne first hit the scene in 1996 with songs like “Radiation Vibe,” though they’re probably best known for 2003’s “Stacy’s Mom.” Schlesinger sat down with the Retailer in the midst of preparing the score to Music and Lyrics, starring Drew Barrymore, and mixing a new Fountains of Wayne record. He talks about his band’s rollercoaster ride to fame, his favorite gear, the state of the music industry, and much more.

The Music & Sound Retailer: How did you first start getting involved with playing music?
Adam Schlesinger: I guess I started with piano lessons when I was about 5. Both my parents were musicians. Not professionally, but they both played instruments. So there was a piano in the house. And they listened to a lot of music. I played piano until I got into junior high school. In high school I started playing other instruments like guitar and bass and drums and stuff.

M&SR: Did you take lessons in those too?
Schlesinger: The only thing I ever actually took any formal lessons on is piano. The rest of it I just started picking up on my own from starting to be in bands and hanging around with people who played those instruments.

M&SR: Do you have a preference for one in particular?
Schlesinger: Well, I mean, piano is the instrument that I really kind of trained on. The reason I wanted to learn other instruments once I got into high school is I didn’t want to be the guy in the band who was always trapped behind the keyboard. I like being able to move around a little bit. So I started playing bass first. I got better at guitar kind of late. I’m still not a great guitar player, but I’m good enough to do what I need to do.

M&SR: When you write songs, do you go to the piano or guitar first?
Schlesinger: These days, I usually write on the guitar, or actually with no instrument. Sometimes I just write, just kind of thinking of it in my head because, in a way, sometimes sitting at an instrument puts you into familiar patterns and rhythms and things. So if you want to try and break it up a little bit, it’s sometimes better to not play one.

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