In you had a pair of ears in 2009, there is no way you could have missed Passion Pit.
Their debut album ‘Manners’ took the spectral synth-rock of MGMT and pushed it into new, deeply other-worldly levels. Receiving rave reviews, Passion Pit became prime material for remixers exposing them to the illicit thrills of the dancefloor.
Still touring hard, the band are matching this with lengthy writing sessions. Despite this, ClashMusic was able to track down Jeff Apruzzese to talk about the influences which fuel Passion Pit.
As ever, you’ll be able to hear the tracks on MFlow. Part of a special preview package, you can download the MFlow software HERE and begin streaming the tracks right now!
Nina Simone – ‘To Love Somebody’
“I discovered her through getting into Jeff Buckley as he did a couple of covers of hers which meant I branched off into her. And then it helped me bond with Mike from the band; he was a huge huge fan. Alone she can just do so many musical things; she’s such a force even though she’s tiny.”
Dizzee Rascal ‘Bonkers’
“My greatest memory of this song is watching Dizzee play this song as the closer to his set during the Big Day Out Festival in Australia. This was the first time I witnessed three people stacked on each other’s shoulders. I was not aware this was possible.”
Interpol ‘Obstacle 1’
“This was the first song that I ever attempted to learn to play on drums. The drummer in my band in high school would always leave his kit in my parents’ basement, and everyday I would poorly attempt to learn how to play.”
Vampire Weekend ‘White Sky’
“I feel that on this record [‘Contra’] they really grew as a band; the vocal melody and falsetto is great in this song. As well as the layering of electronic drums with an acoustic kit.”
Michael Jackson ‘Man In The Mirror’
“We are all Michael Jackson fans. I almost feel that we don’t really need to explain why we love this man and why he’s influenced our band so much.”
