With their upcoming album Gossamer currently available for streaming and poised for release on 7/23, Passion Pit’s frontman Michael Angelakos spoke with Pitchfork in an extensive profile about his recent busyness and the mythologized rise of his once pet project:
When he was 18, Angelakos was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “It’s a constant thing—I’m on suicide watch all the time,” he says, with straightforward nonchalance, on a June evening in his Brooklyn Heights apartment. “It’s something I have a history with, so people don’t trust me. They try to take it easy with me, and I don’t like it, because I don’t want to be known as an artist that’s super volatile.” A year later, while attending Boston’s Emerson College, Angelakos attempted to take his own life: “Creativity essentially leads to suicide—where you think to cut yourself up, sit in the bathtub, and take more medication than you should.”
The story comes on the heels of Passion Pit show cancellations and Angelakos’ public statement on the band’s website on 7/16:
“On behalf of the band and myself, I would like to greatly apologize for the show cancellations. In order for me to ensure that there will be no further disruptions, I am going to take the time to work on improving my mental health. For now, I’d like to thank all of our fans for their understanding. I hope to see all of you very soon in a much different light. . . . With love, Michael.”
Angelakos’ impressive candor gives new depth to the soaring, shimmery music that typifies Passion Pit’s catalog and the story is well worth the read as you listen to Gossamer (which you can do here).
