Passion Pit

Artist Image: Passion Pit
Attribution
Image Credit: Nan Palmero (https://www.flickr.com/photos/nanpalmero/8528801120/), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Passion Pit are an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, formed in 2007. The band consists of Michael Angelakos (lead vocals, keyboards), Ian Hultquist (keyboards, guitar), Ayad Al Adhamy (synthesizer, samples), Jeff Apruzzese (bass, synth bass), and Nate Donmoyer (drums). All of the band members, with the exception of Angelakos, attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The band culled their name from the Variety Slanguage Dictionary, a glossary of Variety's frequently-used slang, which was provided by the Hollywood Insider publication to help not-so-savvy readers decipher its content. The magazine used the term to refer to drive-in theatres, because of their privacy and romantic allure for teenagers. The band shares its name with a pornographic film made in the 1980s, starring Traci Lords. Members of the band say they have been asked repeatedly if that film is what inspired their name but they weren't even aware of its existence until the year after their formation. The first Passion Pit songs, which would later become the Chunk of Change EP, were written by Angelakos as a belated Valentine's Day gift to his then-girlfriend. At first, he wrote and performed all his material alone using a laptop. After one of his solo shows in the Boston area, Ian Hultquist, who was attending Berklee at the time, approached Angelakos and expressed interest in creating and playing music collaboratively. They formed a group that consisted of Angelakos, Hultquist, Ayad Al Adhamy, Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Lavinsky (drums). The band spent a considerable amount of time trying to flesh out a collaborative format and structure that would work best for them. Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer joined the band shortly after they signed to Frenchkiss in 2008, replacing Plasse and Lavinsky, respectively.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2007
Number of Albums 14
Record Label
Website www.passionpitmusic.com
Wikipedia Passion Pit on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

In what year did Passion Pit release their debut album Manners?

2009

...The band released their debut studio album Manners in 2009 . A second studio album entitled Gossamer was released in 2012, which debuted at No. 4 on th...
What was the name of the second Passion Pit album released in 2012?

Gossamer

...eir debut studio album Manners in 2009. A second studio album entitled Gossamer was released in 2012, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and ...
On what chart did Gossamer debut at No. 4?

Billboard 200

...ntitled Gossamer was released in 2012, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and gave the band their first top 10 album. Passion Pit selfrelease...
Passion Pit's fourth album, Tremendous Sea of Love, was released on what date?

March 28, 2017

...ion Pit selfreleased their fourth album, Tremendous Sea of Love, on March 28, 2017 , to Michael Angelakos' Twitter followers; the album was released to...
When was Tremendous Sea of Love released?

July 28, 2017

...ngelakos' Twitter followers; the album was released to the public on July 28, 2017 . Formation edit The first Passion Pit songs, which would later beco...
Who was Ian Hultquist attending?

Berklee College of Music

...olo shows in the Boston area, Ian Hultquist, who was attending Berklee College of Music at the time, approached Angelakos and expressed interest in cr...
Who approached Angelakos and expressed interest in creating and playing music collaboratively?

Ian Hultquist

...lone using a laptop. After one of his solo shows in the Boston area, Ian Hultquist , who was attending Berklee College of Music at the time, approached...
Who was on the bass?

Thom Plasse

...ormed a group that consisted of Angelakos, Hultquist, Ayad Al Adhamy, Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Lavinsky (drums). The band spent a considerable amo...
What is Adam Lavinsky's job?

drums

...lakos, Hultquist, Ayad Al Adhamy, Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Lavinsky ( drums ). The band spent a considerable amount of time trying to flesh out a co...
What two musicians joined the band after signing to Frenchkiss in 2008?

Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer

...rative format and structure that would work best for them. Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer joined the band shortly after they signed to Frenchkiss in...
What was the name of Michael Angelakos's EP?

Chunk of Change

...a Valentine's Day gift for his girlfriend. The gift, an EP entitled Chunk of Change , soon wound up in the hands of friends and acquaintances, who were...
When did the Frenchkiss label pick up Chunk of Change?

2008

...re enthralled with the work. This momentum led to label interest, and in 2008 the Frenchkiss label picked up Chunk of Change for rerelease with the ad...
What was the name of the first album by the group?

Manners

...ecords also liked what they heard and paired with Frenchkiss to release Manners , the first album by the group (which now consisted of Angelakos, Natha...
Who released Manners?

Columbia Records

...unk of Change for rerelease with the addition of two bonus tracks. Columbia Records also liked what they heard and paired with Frenchkiss to release M...
Who replaced Adhamy on the album?

Xander Singh

... I'll Be Alright, and Constant Conversation, and featured new member Xander Singh , who replaced Adhamy. It climbed all the way to number four in the U...
When did Passion Pit appear on Saturday Night Live?

October 2012

...ties a few months later with an appearance on Saturday Night Live in October 2012 , then were quiet until the next year when they headlined the Coastli...
In what year did Xander Singh and Ian Hultquist quit the band?

2014

...estival in Florida and released the Constant Conversations EP. Nothing more was heard until Xander Singh and Ian Hultquist quit the band in late 2014 ....
When was the Coastline Festival held?

Florida

...quiet until the next year when they headlined the Coastline Festival in Florida and released the Constant Conversations EP. Nothing more was heard unt...
How many projects did I have at the time?

seven

...wanted to hash it out and make it a band. It was a one CD deal and I had seven projects at the time and this one project was made for my girlfriend at...
Who did Hulquist bring along to form Passion Pit in 2007?

his buddies from Berklee College of Music

... Out of boredom, we got booked. Hulquist brought along his buddies from Berklee College of Music to form Passion Pit in 2007. The original lineup incl...
What was Thom Plasse's job title?

bass

...(keyboards, guitar), Ayad Al Adhamy (synthesizer, samples), Thom Plasse ( bass ), and Adam Lavinsky (drums). As they worked on their sound, the band got...
When was Passion Pit formed?

2007

...ndietronica band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, formed in 2007 . The band consists solely of Michael Angelakos (lead vocals, keyboards),...
Who is the lead vocalist of Passion Pit?

Michael Angelakos

...usetts, United States, formed in 2007. The band consists solely of Michael Angelakos (lead vocals, keyboards), joined live by Chris Hartz (drums), Aar...
What is Suen?

guitarsynthesizers

...nthesizers), Giuliano Pizzulo (guitarsynthesizers), and Ray Suen ( guitarsynthesizers ). Passion Pit was a vocabulary word used in a class Michael took ...
What did Passion Pit call their name from?

Variety Slanguage Dictionary

... Michael took in school. The band called their name from the Variety Slanguage Dictionary , a glossary of Variety's frequentlyused slang, which was pro...
The Variety Slanguage Dictionary was provided by which publication?

Hollywood Insider

...ssary of Variety's frequentlyused slang, which was provided by the Hollywood Insider publication to help notsosavvy readers decipher its content. The ...
Who handles live percussion and programming?

Nathan Donmoyer

...ing, designing, and constructing intricate cathedrals of sound, and Nathan Donmoyer handling live percussion and programming. Ian Hultquist is also fe...
Passion Pit was opening for high profile bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Girlfriend and what other band?

Yelle

... opening for high profile bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Girl Talk, and Yelle , while mostly headlining their own soldout shows. The learning curve fo...
What was the learning curve for Passion Pit?

short and steep

...ing their own soldout shows. The learning curve for Passion Pit was short and steep . The pressure was unquestionably intense, especially for all shows...