Fountains of Wayne has got it going on this Friday at McCarter

Fountains of Wayne has rocketed to the top of music charts around the world with its new album "Welcome Interstate Managers" (S-Curve Records) and hit single "Stacy's Mom." The band will play in the Matthews Theatre at the McCarter Theatre Center this Friday, and FOW singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger recently spoke about the band, its recent success and its upcoming Princeton performance.

Success for FOW has been a long time coming.

"(Frontman) Chris (Collingwood) and I both went to Williams College in Massachusetts, where we met, and we've been playing music together pretty much ever since. We started playing as a four-piece with Jody (Porter) and Brian (Young) in 1996," Schlesinger said in an email.

The band released its eponymous debut on Atlantic Records that year and unleashed "Utopia Parkway" in 1999. Both underrated gems found success in other countries, but, though lauded by American critics, were met with lukewarm responses from the public in the states.

Armed with a phenomenal new album and the backing of S-Curve Records in 2003, FOW was in a position to take over the world.

"We had no choice but to switch labels, because (Atlantic) didn't want us anymore," Schlesinger said. "I think the success of the new album is due to a combination of factors: a great new label, a strong video, luck, timing, etc."

Although the band has found success relatively late in its career, Schlesinger said he doesn't mind.

"Better late than never, I suppose. We're happy about it because we feel like we got a new start this year," he said.

He speculated that the band would probably enjoy a bit of both commercial and critical success, but added that what is most important to FOW is that the members themselves are satisfied with the records they make.

Although FOW is notorious for their slow output (three albums over a seven year span), their newfound success will undoubtedly speed up the release of the band's next album. However, Schlesinger said there are currently no plans to go back into the studio, and that they need to write some more songs before this happens.

While most bands end up writing much of their material on tour, Schlesinger said he and Collingwood never write on the road.

"We write separately...each of us brings in a batch of completed songs to the band (lyrics and music included). We used to actually collaborate, but these days that doesn't really happen, mostly because we live in different states," Schlesinger said.

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Despite the band's rise to stardom, Schlesinger remains humble.

"I don't think anyone in Fountains of Wayne could be called a rock star, or even a potential rock star, except possibly Jody. The rest of us will never have to worry about getting mobbed," he said.

In addition to the role he plays in FOW, Schlesinger is an established producer. His production work includes each of FOW's releases and the most recent Verve Pipe album. He and ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha co-own independent label Scratchie Record. Schslesinger wrote the title song for Tom Hanks's "That Thing You Do," and "Pretend to Be Nice" from the screen version of "Josie and the Pussycats." And he is a member of Ivy, an east-coast indie rock band that hopes to soon finish work on a new record.

Schlesinger was born in Montclair, NJ, and although he and the band have no direct connection to the University, he said, "I have several friends and relatives who have gone to Princeton."

While it might be supposed that the band's decision to play at McCarter has something to do with Schlesinger's roots, he simply said, "Someone asked us to do it."

Unlike many of its native sons, Schlesinger defends his home state.

"New Jersey is a great state that has been unfairly maligned over the years, I think primarily because the drive south from New York City on the Turnpike doesn't necessarily make the best first impression on people," he said.