We don’t exactly know what a “passion pit” is, it’s probably something like a giant orgy that takes place in a really deep hole. What we do know, however, is that Passion Pit the band are an electro-pop group from Cambridge, Massachusetts who everyone is ranting and raving about at the moment.
We know they’re hot stuff because out on the town all the cool kids can be heard saying things like, “Oh yeah, Passion Pit are wicked. I totally knew about them, like, six months ago” and “Yeah I know Passion Pit. I haven’t heard them yet, but they’re probably shit.”
Michael Angelakos writes all the band’s songs himself – debut EP ‘Chunk of Change’ was originally intended as a valentine’s gift for his girlfriend. He’s since enlisted four of his musician pals to help convey his musical vision and together they make euphoric, glitchy pop music.
This is your first time in the UK, are you having fun?
Ian: Yeah! We love it. We’re having an amazing time. We have one day off on Sunday and I want to go do all the touristy stuff- go see Big Ben, hang out in central London, all that stuff.
Your music makes us happy. Are you happy people, or is your whole band outlook a facade?
Ian: No, we’re happy kids.
Jeff: I think a good way to describe our sound is melancholy pop music. You have this chipper uplifting music, but lyrically it is very complex. That’s my favorite kind of music – where everything sounds happy on the outside but when you explore the lyrical content you find that there’s a lot more going on than just sunshine and lollypops.
You’re in the middle of a three month tour. Have you done anything you regret so far?
Ian: No, I keep my wits about me most of the time.
Jeff: Everyone imagines that you’re going to go on tour and get drunk and do a whole bunch of drugs, and then go back to a hotel room and hang out with a bunch of groupies, but it’s not like that. We’re staying at our A & R’s parents flat, sleeping in a room with five other guys, and waking up cold and tired.
Sounds awesome. What’s the music scene in Boston like?
Jeff: When we started going to university there four years ago, there wasn’t much of a music scene. It was very competitive. But I feel like now there is an uprising of good music coming out of Boston- not just electronic dance music, but really good indie rock and rock and roll.
Do you have anything else you want to say?
Jeff: Just that I love Ian and Mike and Ayad and Nate a whole lot.
Really? Do you ever group kiss?
Jeff: Actually, the closest we’ve come to group kissing was during a photoshoot we did last week. It was in a dark room and there were glo sticks on the table and our faces were all touching. It was hot, but it made me feel kind of uneasy.
