Last summer, Passion Pit announced a break from touring, with frontman Michael Angelakos saying that he was taking a leave of absence from being a “commercialized artist” in hopes of devoting more time to his mental health. During this break, Angelakos began working with The Wishart Group, a company dedicated to helping provide “legal, educational and healthcare services” to artists to help them in ways that many labels don’t provide for.
In a new interview with The Independent, Angelakos has revealed the real reason behind his recent return to life on tour: put simply, the songwriter needs money to afford treatment for his health. “I need money to be able to afford my treatments, to be able to afford the myriad costs of living with my disorder that have nearly ruined me,” he said.
Recently, Angelakos sat down with Consequence of Sound to discuss some of the stigmas surrounding his mental health issues and the songwriter’s reluctance to speak to his fans about his ongoing financial difficulties. “I will say that my life hasn’t improved since becoming open about it,” he said. “I haven’t seen better treatments, stigma hasn’t changed, the suicide rate has increased, so the brutal reality of it all has maybe never been more important to share.”
He also spoke about just how difficult it is to find health coverage on an artist’s budget in this “absolute train wreck of a fractured system.” “I know lots of musicians that just look for insurance just like anyone else that freelances, and that’s why the ACA [Affordable Care Act] is so important for us,” he said. “I guess what we’re missing is drugs without crippling side effects and more diverse long-term care without the astronomical costs.”
Things aren’t entirely bleak on the road, and Angelakos also acknowledged the positive effects that a consistent schedule can have on his mental health. “After a manic episode, you’ve got to rebuild your sense of a schedule in every sense of the word. Eating, showering, sleeping—you’re just a mess, you’re rebuilding your entire life. So, instead of just complaining about it, I am just trying to use this tour in the most positive way, and that’s in multiple ways.”
Read the full interview over on Consequence of Sound and catch Passion Pit on tour with dates as listed below.
Passion Pit:
1/22 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
1/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
1/25 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom
1/26 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Vogue Theatre
1/27 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
1/29 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
1/30 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
2/1 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
2/2 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
2/3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater
