Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos has opened up about his struggles with mental health – and looks ahead to the band’s upcoming tour. 

Following the release of Passion Pit’s fourth record ‘Tremendous Sea Of Love’ in July last year, Angelakos announced that he’d be taking a break from making music to look after his mental health. In September, he joined the likes of Metallica, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and Halsey in the suicide prevention campaign ‘I’m Listening’.

 Now, during an interview with The Independent, Angelakos has opened up about his struggles with mental health in the music industry and discussed Passion Pit’s live return. 

 

Passion PitThough Angelakos describes how the music industry “seemed to not necessarily be the safest place for me”, he decided to head back out on the road as “an opportunity to get together with some of my favourite people I’ve ever played music with”. Angelakos does claim, however, that needing money to pay for treatments was a factor. 

Speaking of last year’s ‘Tremendous Sea Of Love’, Angelakos said that the project “felt like a medicine but was really a product of something else,” along with the 2016 solo release ‘Merry Christmas Mr Fields’.

“I [was] going on my third year of being manic,” he said of 2017. “I wasn’t fully aware of it, and I was also able to manage it at times, which deceptively made me feel as though I had it totally under control. But like most people who are manic, you kind of never want to turn it off, or you feel like if you turn it off you’re going to lose everything in your head or something.

While promising live airings of ‘Tremendous Sea of Love’ material, Angelakos says that touring is helping to raise awareness for mental health program Wishart, which provides “legal, educational and healthcare services” to artists. 

“This is one of the few things we’ll be doing while also hopefully just having a good time together and with our fans each night.”

Passion Pit’s US tour starts tonight (January 10) at Washington D.C’s 9:30 Club.

For help and advice on mental health issues: