"Passion Pit" was a vocabulary word used in a class Michael took in school. The band called 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 first Passion Pit songs, which would later become the Chunk of Change EP, were written by Angelakos at Emerson College as a belated Valentine's Day gift to his then-girlfriend. At first, he wrote and performed all his material alone using a laptop. These sets of songs were passed around Emerson and caught the attention of many blogs.
Michael played his first shows alone sitting with his laptop and a microphone. After one of these 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. After a few line-up changes, Passion Pit was born. 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. In 2012, Adhamy was replaced by Xander Singh.
The band's debut EP, "Chunk of Change", was released on September 16, 2008. The first four tracks were those that Angelakos had written as a gift for his girlfriend, which had already become popular throughout Emerson where he had been passing out his own, self-produced copies. Two tracks, "Better Things" and "Sleepyhead", were added for the commercial release of the EP. The same year of their debut EP's release, the band was chosen as "Best New Local Act in 2008" in the WFNX/Boston Phoenix best music poll.
The first and only single to be released from the EP, "Sleepyhead", received a good deal of exposure through its use in numerous media campaigns and advertisements, while the video for the song, directed by The Wilderness, was included on Pitchfork's Top 40 Music Videos of 2008 list. The song contains samples of "Óró Mo Bháidín" by Irish singer and harpist Mary O'Hara.
Other songs from the EP received some exposure as well. "Cuddle Fuddle" was featured in E4's second series of The Inbetweeners and "I've Got Your Number" was used in an advertisement for the cash card from O2, Money in the UK.
The band's first full-length studio album, Manners, was released on May 18, 2009 in the UK and May 19, 2009 in the United States and Canada. In celebration, the band played their record release party on the 18th in New York City on a Rocks Off boat cruise. In a preview article, ClashMusic.com commented that the album "has every chance to rank as one of the year's best" and that "it reveals additional nuances with each visit: a sure-fire sign of an album with true longevity".
In order to obtain a specific background vocal accompaniment the band was looking for on Manners, Passion Pit enlisted the help of the PS22 chorus, who recorded vocals in-studio for three of the album's songs: "The Reeling", "Little Secrets", and "Let Your Love Grow Tall".
Passion Pit made their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 performing their song "The Reeling" from the album.
"The Reeling" was the first single to be released from the album and found success on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in the fall of 2009, where it peaked at number 34 in October. "Little Secrets" was the third single to be released and had success on the chart as well, topping out at number 39. "Let Your Love Grow Tall" was never released as a single but had some exposure being used in the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the TV series Ugly Betty.
The album's second single, "To Kingdom Come", was used in the Rhapsody commercial for its iPhone application.
"Sleepyhead" was the only track from Chunk of Change to be included on the album and was made available from iTunes for free as a discovery download in 2009. The song continued to receive additional exposure through its appearances in advertisements. It was used in a season 3 episode of the teen-drama, Skins, and most recently in the debut trailer for LittleBigPlanet 2, which led to the band's increased popularity amongst fans and players of the game, who eventually created an in-game instrumental version of the song to listen to in the first game. When the sequel was released, it came with the song's actual instrumental version used in the trailer. This song has also been used in an advertisement for the Palm Pixi and the Canadian PSP.
The song "Moth's Wings" was used in the fourth episode of the third season of the CW teen drama Gossip Girl and in the closing credits of episode 36 of HBO's Big Love. It appeared in the FIFA 10 video game and was featured in the film Life As We Know It, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. Additionally, the track has been used as a background theme for Sky Sports' coverage of the UEFA Champions League and as the music for a dance routine in Episode 5, Season 8, of the US television show So You Think You Can Dance (United States), which received a standing ovation from the show's judges. It was also featured in MTV's show Awkward.
On April 13, 2010, the band reissued Manners in a deluxe edition format which contained new artwork and three additional tracks: stripped-down versions of "Sleepyhead" and "Moth's Wings" and a cover of The Cranberries' song "Dreams". The deluxe release coincided with the extension of their North American headlining tour.
The band released another cover in June 2010, this time offering up their take on The Smashing Pumpkins hit song "Tonight, Tonight" as part of a promotion with Levi's called "Pioneer Sessions".
In September 2010, Passion Pit toured with the English band Muse as their opening act for eight shows during their fall tour through parts of the U.S.
In an August 2010 interview with NME, Angelakos stated that work had already begun on the follow-up to Manners and that the band intended to release the album in the spring of 2011. He then said that it will be released early in 2012.
On April 24, 2012, Angelakos announced the title of the album, Gossamer, and that it would be released on July 24, 2012.
On May 7, the first track from Gossamer was released, called "Take a Walk".
On June 12, the second track from Gossamer was released, called "I'll Be Alright". The track leaked early on June 11th and was released as an NME premiere on June 8.
On July 9, a third track from Gossamer, called "Constant Conversations", was reviewed and featured as "best new track" by Pitchfork. It was released with the review as streamed content.
Passion Pit officially released their second album, Gossamer, on July 20, 2012 to critical acclaim.
On July 16th, Angelakos posted on the Passion Pit website that the band has cancelled the remaining July tour dates and suspended the tour in order for Angelakos to seek ongoing treatment for bipolar disorder. A Rolling Stones interview stated that Angelakos was diagnosed at 17, undergoing therapy, hospital care, and medication ever since.
On October 13, they performed on Saturday Night Live. They played "Take a Walk" and "Carried Away".
On September 24, Passion Pit released the Constant Conversations EP, exclusively available on Spotify. The EP featured an alternative version of Constant Conversations from their 2012 album Gossamer, in addition to a formerly unreleased b-side called Ruin Your Day. The final track on the EP was a remix of Carried Away by Dillon Francis.
Passion Pit's third studio album, Kindred, was released on April 17, 2015, preceded by the lead singles "Lifted Up (1985)", "Where the Sky Hangs", and "Until We Can't (Let's Go)". In anticipation of the release, the band posted several coded images to various social networking platforms. Soon after the release of the Morse code image, the official Passion Pit website, which had been under construction since the end of the 2013 tour, came back up as "KindredTheAlbum.com" (The website has since returned to "passionpitmusic.com".)
During February and March of 2017, several new Passion Pit songs were uploaded on YouTube on the account for The Wishart Group (from the name of a project started by Michael Angelakos and dedicated to supporting musicians by providing them with legal, educational and healthcare services, with a focus on mental health, a topic on which Angelakos has been especially forthcoming), foreshadowing a fourth album for 2017.
All of the videos for those new songs have the same background photo (a woman wearing a white dress, located in the middle of the sea, turning around as though she had sensed she was being secretly observed from behind), as does the front cover of the album. The songs were taken down, but Angelakos announced that he will give a downloadable copy of the album for free to anyone who retweets neuroscientist Michael F. Wells' tweet on the importance of science and research. The profits from the album will be donated to a psychiatric research institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On July 11, Passion Pit's fourth album, Tremendous Sea of Love, was announced to be released on July 28 on all streaming services.
The band embarked on a North American tour between January and February 2018 to promote Tremendous Sea of Love as well as their EP Chunk of Change's 10th anniversary.
Make Light
Passion Pit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comes burying my burnt remains
These puddled clouds
Oh I, I understand now
But darkness falls likes shattered pieces
Dangling, shimmering
Torn and tattered and crowned
Oh I'll not be told "No" to "No more!"
You must believe to hear me sing these
Messy morsels of my self-assuring love
Oh it's painful kneading
Yes, I lie and I wrangle with prospective angles
That glare me down and face me with all I do wrong
Why do they all look like me?
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive
And it's alright
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
Of my treacherous life
If I had hands I'd hold up high
My lofty dreams and my alibi's real name
But I have no strength
So I toss and I turn and I spit in the urn
There's a ghost in your eye
There is someone that knows more than I
But I'm quick to deny
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive
And it's alright
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
Of my treacherous life
Make Light!
The first verse of Make Light by Passion Pit paints a picture of a post-apocalyptic world where the singer’s burnt remains are buried in the clouds. The clouds are described as ‘puddled’ and they appear to have given the singer insights that they didn’t have before. However, the singer is still struggling with the darkness that surrounds them, and they feel like they are being torn and tattered. Despite their struggles, the singer is defiant and will not accept being told ‘No’.
The second verse delves into the singer’s inner conflict as they explore their self-assuring love. The singer is painfully kneading through their emotions as they try to reconcile with the perspectives of those around them. They feel as though they are constantly facing their faults and shortcomings. The singer is struggling to understand why everyone they encounter appears to look like them. It is evident that the singer is trying to prove their existence amidst the chaos surrounding them.
However, in the chorus, the singer finds solace in the fact that despite all their struggles, they can still find a way to make light of their treacherous life. The singer longs to hold up their dreams and alibis high but is too weak to do so. They come to realize that there is someone who knows more than them, but they are quick to deny this. The singer is desperate to prove that they are alive and that everything will be alright.
Line by Line Meaning
So now we see
We have gained a new perspective
Comes burying my burnt remains
I am dealing with the consequences of my past mistakes
These puddled clouds
My mind is clouded and confused
Oh I, I understand now
I have come to understanding and realization
But darkness falls likes shattered pieces
Everything around me seems to be falling apart
Dangling, shimmering
The situation is uncertain and has an unsettling feeling
Torn and tattered and crowned
I am beaten down, but still wear my scars like a crown
Oh I'll not be told 'No' to 'No more!'
I refuse to accept defeat and will keep pushing forward
You must believe to hear me sing these
You need to have faith in me to understand my message
Messy morsels of my self-assuring love
My love for myself is imperfect and messy, but still present
Oh it's painful kneading
It's a struggle to work on and improve myself
Yes, I lie and I wrangle with prospective angles
I struggle with the different perspectives of myself and others
That glare me down and face me with all I do wrong
My own flaws and mistakes are staring me in the face
Why do they all look like me?
I see my own flaws reflected in others
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
I am doing everything I can to be heard and understood
Just to prove I'm alive
I want to feel alive and validated
And it's alright
Everything is going to be okay
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
I will find a way to bring light and positivity to my life
If I had hands I'd hold up high
I would proudly show off my accomplishments and my true identity
My lofty dreams and my alibi's real name
My big dreams and excuses are a reflection of who I really am
But I have no strength
I don't feel capable of achieving my goals
So I toss and I turn and I spit in the urn
I am restless and trying to rid myself of negative energy
There's a ghost in your eye
You seem haunted or troubled by something
There is someone that knows more than I
I feel like others have a better understanding of my situation than I do
But I'm quick to deny
I am defensive and don't want to admit others might have more insight
Make Light!
I will find a way to bring positivity and light to my life, no matter what
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL ANGELAKOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sophia Kuusisto
So now we see
Comes burying my burnt remains
These puddled clouds
Oh I, I understand now
But darkness falls likes shattered pieces
Dangling, shimmering
Torn and tattered and crowned
Oh I'll not be told "No" to "No more!"
You must believe to hear me sing these
Messy morsels of my self-assuring love
Oh it's painful kneading
Yes, I lie and I wrangle with prospective angles
That glare me down and face me with all I do wrong
Why do they all look like me?
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive
And it's alright
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
Of my treacherous life
If I had hands I'd hold up high
My lofty dreams and my alibi's real name
But I have no strength
So I toss and I turn and I spit in the urn
There's a ghost in your eye
There is someone that knows more than I
But I'm quick to deny
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive
And it's alright
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
Of my treacherous life
Make Light!
Aaron Mazie
You are a huge inspiration. My own projects and the bands that grew up around me are tremendously inspired by this band and this album. Extremely underrated.
Sophia Kuusisto
So now we see
Comes burying my burnt remains
These puddled clouds
Oh I, I understand now
But darkness falls likes shattered pieces
Dangling, shimmering
Torn and tattered and crowned
Oh I'll not be told "No" to "No more!"
You must believe to hear me sing these
Messy morsels of my self-assuring love
Oh it's painful kneading
Yes, I lie and I wrangle with prospective angles
That glare me down and face me with all I do wrong
Why do they all look like me?
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive
And it's alright
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
Of my treacherous life
If I had hands I'd hold up high
My lofty dreams and my alibi's real name
But I have no strength
So I toss and I turn and I spit in the urn
There's a ghost in your eye
There is someone that knows more than I
But I'm quick to deny
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive
And it's alright
Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light
Of my treacherous life
Make Light!
J. M.
this song is AWESOME live.
Melisa Rodriguez
Live @ Lolla was insane
i hate highschool
This Album plays while your ascending to heaven
OctoSquishy
I have a Positivity Journal that I titled "Make Light" . I was 15 when this album came out, had a tremendous impact on my life <3
Chedderninja25
0% drugs
0% violence
0% nudity
100% MAKING LIGHT
EzPzLemnSqueezy
Greatest song ever written
Sweet Tooth
I love this song
duncan w craig
let's see i was 41 when this album came out. Saw Passion Pit live twice in the 2010's. Oh good memories for sure, this is a terrific album.