In July 2012, Passion Pit frontman and songwriter Michael Angelakos was in a bad place. The band had to cancel its scheduled headlining performance at Salt Lake City's Twilight Concert Series when he sought hospital care and therapy for bipolar disorder.
Now, Angelakos is in a much better place.
In a Tribune interview, the 26-year-old singer, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teen, said he has felt "less on edge" since his hospitalization and is feeling much more comfortable than he has in a long time.
Passion Pit, the synth-pop band from Massachusetts, is making its second trip to Utah on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The band made up for the 2012 cancellation with a sold-out show in Salt Lake City earlier this year; Wednesday's show at The Complex also is sold out.
Angelakos' hospital stay coincided with the release of the group's second album, "Gossamer," and though he admitted that "studio efforts are almost entirely me," his surrounding musicians make Passion Pit more than just a one-man band. "It works," Angelakos said. "We have a rapport. They're really good at not just replicating. They're very good at interpreting them. It's really exciting to see [the songs] come to life."
Part of the band's talent can be attributed to studies at the acclaimed Berklee College of Music; Angelakos is the only member not to have been a student there.
"They all went to music school," he said. "But when you're in a band, you throw away everything you learned in music school. … If I went to school for music, I'd be ruined."
This past summer, Angelakos suspended his Twitter account, despite his misgivings about being seen as dismissive of his fans. "I just think there's pressure for artists to feel connected to their fans, and it demystifies the artist," he said. "When I was a kid, I would imagine what [my musical heroes] were like." He continued: "I want to communicate through music."
The Joy Formidable, an alt-rock band from Wales, opens Wednesday's show. Passion Pit with The Joy Formidable
When • Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Where • The Complex, Salt Lake City
Tickets • Sold out