Passion Pit

Passion Pit, an American indie pop band, was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2007. The band’s primary recording member is frontman and keyboardist Michael Angelakos. The name “Passion Pit” originates from the Variety Slanguage Dictionary, referring to drive-in theaters. Angelakos initially wrote the songs for what would become the “Chunk of Change” EP as a Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend while attending Emerson College. He initially performed this material alone using a laptop. The tracks gained popularity on campus, leading to the self-produced copies being passed around. Ian Hultquist, then attending Berklee College of Music, approached Angelakos after a solo performance, leading to the formation of a collaborative group. The initial lineup included Angelakos, Hultquist, Ayad Al Adhamy, Thom Plasse, and Adam Lavinsky. Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer joined the band after they signed with Frenchkiss Records in 2008, replacing Plasse and Lavinsky.

The band’s debut EP, “Chunk of Change,” was released on September 16, 2008. Two additional tracks, “Sleepyhead” and “Better Things,” were added for the commercial release. In the same year, Passion Pit was named “Best New Local Act in 2008” by WFNX/Boston Phoenix. The single “Sleepyhead” gained significant exposure through media campaigns and advertisements, with its video included on Pitchfork’s Top 40 Music Videos of 2008 list. This song famously sampled “Óró Mo Bháidín” by Mary O’Hara. Other tracks from the EP, such as “Cuddle Fuddle” and “I’ve Got Your Number,” were featured in television series and advertisements. The band’s first full-length studio album, “Manners,” was released on May 19, 2009. The album featured the PS22 chorus providing background vocals on tracks like “The Reeling,” “Little Secrets,” and “Let Your Love Grow Tall.” “The Reeling” reached No. 34 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in 2009. “Sleepyhead” was also included on “Manners” and received further exposure, notably in the trailer for the video game “LittleBigPlanet 2.”

The second album, “Gossamer,” released on July 24, 2012, marked a significant milestone by debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 37,000 copies sold in its first week. Tracks such as “Take a Walk,” “I’ll Be Alright,” and “Constant Conversations” were released ahead of the album. Following the album’s release, Michael Angelakos announced the cancellation of tour dates to address his bipolar disorder, a condition he was diagnosed with at 17. In October 2012, Passion Pit performed “Take a Walk” and “Carried Away” on “Saturday Night Live.” The band continued to release music, including a single “American Blood” in 2023, which was previously a bonus track on the iTunes edition of “Gossamer.” The band has performed at festivals such as Lollapalooza in Brazil in 2012 and the Just Like Heaven music festival in Pasadena, California, in May 2024.