Local Voices: PASSION PIT

Not much more than a month ago, a band opened at the Great Scott in Allston, MA and stole the show as the club filled with their fans screaming along the lyrics louder than the singers mic'd on stage, all while completely flooring everyone who was lucky enough to witness them for the first time. That was the first time I saw Passion Pit and since that nite they have ignited a buzz about them unparalleled in speed in the Boston music scene. They've also been in rotation at WFNX and NPR.

The band consists of Michael Angelakos (songwriter/vocals/synth), Ian Hultquist (vocals/synth), Ayad al Adhamy (vocals/synth/sampling), Adam Lavinsky (drums/sampling), and Thom Plasse (bass/synth). Last nite i got to sit down with four of the five members and get better insight to what Passion Pit really is.

BASSTOWN - So im under the impression that this was originally your (Mike Angelakos) solo project, how did Passion Pit evolve into what it is today?

Mike Angelakos - "Well I started making electro-pop on my own in 2006, Im a pop songwriter though, typical formulaic pop, but i started playing it for my roomates and dancing and i realized how much fun it was. So i released an album (Chunk of Change) the night before a show on April 20th 2007 and i played with my laptop and just sang along, and it went over pretty well. Then Ian [Hultquist] and Adam [Lavinsky] offered to be my backup band if I ever wanted one. I called them a few weeks later and we got a practice space. I still do all the recording alone and play live with the band."

BT - so what way have you found to be most efficient for translating your programmed recordings into live songs?

Adam Lavinsky - "by nt playing along with the track"
M.A. - "yea we're not gonna be Kate Bush, the songs change several times before playing them live"

BT - So how does the local buzz about you guys make you feel?

Ian Hultquist - "it makes me nervous"
A.L. - "we just do it to have fun, i dont think about that"
M.A. - "i was horrified, i didnt expect it, i get horrible stage fright too, i think the local scene expects so much but we will warmly embrace it as it has embraced us."

BT - who are you feeling in the boston scene?

Ayad al Ahamy - "Ramming Speed, a thrash metal band that sings about pizza and girls and Eureka Gold i miss them"
M.A. - "Tulsa is awesome and Benefit Friends is doing great things"

BT - definitely, so whens the next album coming out?
M.A. - "its called Pretty Penny and its #2 of 3 concept albums and it will include 2 discs, one with the music and one with a multimedia experience for each song as well as acoustic versions and such, my roomate Sam Pettibon is putting it together, he's a genius."
I.H. - "its coming out in April"

Yep i'd say 6 more months of Enzyte and this P.P. will be huge. You can catch em this Saturday January 26th at Basstown, February 4th at Northeastern Univ.'s After Hours Club with The Peasantry, and February 15th at Charter Oaks in Hartford, CT. Also check back here for the premiere of their two new music videos for "Sleepyhead" and "Cuddle Fuddle"! heres there myspace once again.