iheartthemusic chatted it up with band members Ian and Nate from electro/indie group Passion Pit before their higly anticipated and sold out gig at Lee’s Palace. These two young gents did not look like your “typical” electronic musicians, they reminded me a lot of Michael Cera.  Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter if they look the part or not, Nate and Ian are passionate about the music and are rediculously talented. If you missed their show this time around check em’ out when they are back in August.

iheartthemusic: How different was it making your full length album Manners than your previous EP Chunk of Change?

Ian: Completely! Chunk of Change was Mike and a laptop in his bedroom by himself. No one really came in and said “hey, you should try this and you should try that.” He just kind of did his own thing. Manners was a full studio record, everyone was in and out of the studio having different people giving you ideas. It was two different worlds.

iheartthemusic: Creative difference as well? 

Ian: I’d say so. Our songwriting improved a lot. The rest of the band and producer Chris Zain and our engineer and everyone kind of had a lot of input on the songs, it wasn’t just Mike doing what he wants.

iheartthemusic: You guys are pretty young hey?

Ian: Yeah, everyone is 23 or 22.

iheartthemusic: Holy shit eh! You guys are talented. Manners has been so successful, did you know when you released it that it was going to be a hit or were you surprised when it flew off the charts?

Nate: Only Kanye’s like that!

Ian: We were happy with the record but we didn’t think it was going to be huge or anything. We liked it and i’m happy I am involved in this record but I wasn’t like “this is going to change the world.”

iheartthemusic: Being modest about the work is the best.

Ian: It’s always surprising when you hear anything about if you’re doing well or not. Like this whole tour has been blowing me away everyday. The fact that we’re in Toronto for the first time and the show is sold out, you don’t expect that ever.

iheartthemusic: This is your first time in Toronto?? Did you just come in today?

Ian: We got in last night.

iheartthemusic: Did you guys tour the city a little bit or were you stuck in your hotel room??

Ian: We saw a little bit driving around earlier. It’s cool, it’s like 6 different cities all in one almost.

iheartthemusic: It’s cool eh??

Ian: Yeah!

iheartthemusic: There are so many different places of the city to discover, i’m still discovering it. On to the next question, I read that Michael started the band, how did the rest of the band form??

Ian: Actually I was in a couple of bands with him already before Passion Pit started and then he started writing all of these songs on his own and he did a show which was just him and a laptop which wasn’t that great. This is when he released the original “Chunk of Change.” I came up to him and said “hey, we should play again and play the Passion Pit songs but with a band,” and it kind of just went from there. So then members started joining and then we were swaping members but I think the line- up we have now have been together since August 2008.

iheartthemusic: Going strong??

Ian: Doin good!

iheartthemusic: Were you all from the get-go on the same page creatively??

Ian: Everyone has their own completely different genre that they’re into.

Nate: We’re still not on the same page but I think that’s what makes the album as eclectic as it is, that everyone has their own “oh that’s too this” or ” no I like this.” Than it comes down to an agreement or settlement.

iheartthemusic: What kind of bands were you in before? Were they all kind of the same indie/electronic??

Ian: No, that was the thing, other than Nate who is an amazing electronic DJ/musician no one else really did electronic music before. Actually like Mike, Ayad and I are all guitar players. This playing elctro-pop music was something completely new.

iheartthemusic: Are you influenced by electronic music??

Ian: The past couple of years this band has opened me up to a lot of new music but it’s not the only music I listen to.

Nate: I think for our palette and estetic, electronic music is very influential of how we sound the way we do and why we sound the way we do. But I think song form wise pop music is really the main influence and what we kind of study. That form is what we do and what we all grew up on.

iheartthemusic: Was it a dream and a passion from a young age to create music?

Nate: It’s a pipe dream and for some reason i thought it’d be okay to go to music school and it worked out somehow. I think the odds of winning the lotto are lower.

iheartthemusic: Did you take music in post-secondary or did you take music throughout your childhood?

Nate: Yeah, we’ve all been training for a long time but most of us met at music school in Boston. So when you get to that stage of “what do you want to do with your life?” and it’s not like the little kid “what do you want to do when you grow up?” It’s actually what do you want to spend all of your time on, I think we made the decision a long time ago that it would be music and we’re really lucky.

iheartthemusic: Yeah it’s super lucky! Do you have any other inspirations do you have?

Ian and Nate: Film.

iheartthemusic: What are you watching right now?? What is your favorite film that came out recently?

Nate: “Wild Zero,” well it’s not recent but it’s a Japenese B Zombie movie that’s really, really cheesy and bad but really amazing at the same time. Guitar Wolf is the main character and that’s his real name.

iheartthemusic: Yeah!

Nate: Guitar Wolf. It’s the name of a Japenese rock band, it’s kind of a throw back – they are all kind of 50’s pompedors but they all play like hard, noisy garage rock but are also movie stars.

iheartthemusic: So I should go check that out then.

Nate: Yeah.

iheartthemusic: Okay, let’s talk about your stage show…

Nate: Costumes, choreography….

iheartthemusic: What should the audience expect from it?

Nate: We sweat a lot, jumping up and down, lots of energy. Hopefully it makes people move and they get into it. It’s not like a sit down theatre type of band. We’re a little bit sloppy it’s because we’re really into it and we’re too hyper.

iheartthemusic: Do you guys think of your show as much as the effort that goes into your albums?

Ian: Yeah, definately.

Nate: I think more because this is transient, you know it’s never going to happen again. Hopefully people want to keep coming back as for the album if it sucks the first time it’s going to suck the second time and the third time.

iheartthemusic: True enough. So, when your fans leave your show what do you want them thinking or feeling??

Ian: That guitar player was so good! i don’t know…

Nate: Just happy.

Ian: Yeah, I want them to be in a good mood.

Nate: Hopefully they can’t sleep.

iheartthemusic: They can’t sleep cause they are…

Nate: so excited!

iheartthemusic: They’re going to follow you around like groupies.

Nate: No that’s terrible please don’t do that, do something with your life.

Ian: Eat pixie sticks or something.

iheartthemusic: Pixie sticks are good, I don’t know when the last time I had one was.

Nate: They should want to go skinny dipping.

iheartthemusic: Oh my!

interviewed by Kristen Tignanelli