Passion Pit, consisting solely of Michael Angelakos, has been up to one or two things this fine year. Namely, self-releasing his fourth album, Tremendous Sea of Love, two songs from which made it onto Indie Shuffle: "Hey K" and "Somewhere Up There." He also covered Elohim's "All That Gold," and she then covered his track "Hideaway."

Michael's path is not just one of music, he has also fought a courageous battle with his own mental health. This has lead to him speaking out for the cause for some time. His passion for it was grinding to a halt  until he spoke with Zane Lowe, catalyzing his now unstoppable actions that are focussed on helping those who suffer with mental illness. After Lowe broached the topic of mental illness on his radio show, it allowed Michael to speak openly about it. Michael later explained that he felt as though 'new life' had been breathed into what he had been doing. 

That catalyzing event was then followed by the Michael's open efforts to provide support for other artists struggling with mental illness through a project called The Wishart Group, which works to provide legal, educational and healthcare services to artists. In an interview with Billboard, he shared what it was like to speak openly about his own struggles with mental health. He makes it clear that he feels the entire topic of mental health care hinges on stigma, and that is why he does what he can to speak about the topic of mental health as much as possible. 

Tremendous Sea of Love

Passion Pit used the release of his new album to put mental health in the spotlight. He handed over his Twitter account to a neuroscientist, with the aim to educate and inform the public. He then released Tremendous Sea of Love for free in return for retweets of the neuroscientist's tweets. 

https://twitter.com/mfwells5/status/844870818177921024

Passion Pit Tour

In the same interview, Michael explains that touring takes a tole on him and on his wellbeing. What he really wants to be doing is helping people, and perhaps now he has found the happy medium – touring in such a way that helps people – because he is set to go on tour once again. 

Tour Dates

10 January 2018 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC, US
12 January 2018 - House of Blues, Boston, MA, US
13 January 2018 - Terminal 5, New York, NY, US
14 January 2018 - Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, US
16 January 2018 - Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI, US
17 January 2018 - Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL, US
18 January 2018 - First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, US
20 January 2018 - Belly Up Aspen, Aspen, CO, US
22 January 2018 - Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO, US
23 January 2018 - The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT, US
25 January 2018 - Roseland Theater, Portland, OR, US
26 January 2018 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Canada
27 January 2018 - Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA, US
29 January 2018 - Fox Theater, Oakland, CA, US
30 January 2018 - The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA, US
1 February 2018 - The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA, US
2 February 2018 - Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ, US
3 February 2018 - Belasco Theater, Los Angeles, CA, US

Until Passion Pit's tour kicks off, reacquaint yourself with his music.

Happy (and healthy) shuffling. 

Image Source: Moses