“It’s important to fight sometimes so you can be free,” Jared Leto tells me in all seriousness. Fresh from attending the Sundance Film Festival 2010 and back in Los Angeles, the 30 Seconds to Mars (30STM) frontman was taking time out for a chat over the phone with MTV Asia.

Putting things into context, Jared was referring to the band’s uphill struggle in 2008 and 2009, especially with the grim prospect of the infamous $30 million Virgin label lawsuit hanging over their heads. It was a period where 30STM declared war, shed past baggage, enlisted an army of fans to leave their imprints on the new album, and basically marched on in a new creative direction.

Jared talks more about the album, coveting the elusive Obama album cover, turning the camera on Los Angeles for music video “Kings and Queens”, and wanting to tour Asia sometime this year.

Perhaps the most revealing insight into the nature of Adam Young (who records under the moniker Owl City) comes from a line in “Dental Care”, a track taken off his major label debut album, Ocean Eyes (2009). “I’d rather pick flowers, instead of fights,” he sings over a bouncy, upbeat melody. And that pretty much sets the tone for Owl City’s sound – a pure slab of dreamy electro-pop, slathered with an extra helping of rainbow sprinkles.

With sold-out live gigs across the US, Asia, and more touring on the cards, it’s a far cry from loading trucks in warehouses for Coca-Cola and working the graveyard shift for UPS, all of which Adam has done before. Adam takes time out from daydreaming about beaches, fireflies and hot air balloons to speak with MTV Asia via email on snowy owls, “XXL” gym shorts, and the ocean deep.