So, Michael recruited most of you guys from Berklee. Are you guys secretly charging him by the hour for your services? 
Ha I wish! We would all be rich and Michael would be poor. In reality we all earn the same form the live shows and merchandise, but ultimately Michael will fairly receive all the EP earnings.

One of the cool things about Berklee is their emphasis on electronic music. There are courses available there in turntablism and, presumably, synthesizers and other electronic instruments. What do you think of the fact that there are only a handful of schools teaching these things? 
Berklee has its pros and cons. Me and Nate both majored in music synthesis, but I had to withdraw this semester due to an increase in touring and band related activities. I am not surprised that there are not that many schools; it is a speciality and I think of Berklee as a glorified trade school. We learnt the foundation in a very boot camp style fashion and then we choose our concentrate. Schools like Cal Arts have a similar program, and many colleges offer electronic music and classes in Max/MSP, which was the most challenging and rewarding class for me, but what differentiates Berklee is the practical use of these subjects, and less on the academic and mathematical aspects that are the core of synthesis. 

Do you think it's helped this project take off so quickly? You guys hadn't even played 50 shows when you headed down here for CMJ... 
I think Michael's songwriting is the principle reason for the quick burst. The rest of us being schooled musicians helped the live show, but me and Ian are guitar players! This is the first time either of us has played keys in a band; I think the imperfections add to the music and make it more appealing. If we were just shredding out arpeggios that would be pretty boring, and very Berklee!

How do you guys fill out a setlist at a show? Chunk of Change only has six original songs on it...
Our live set consists of the EP and two songs that were at some point intended to be on the full-length,  whether they are or not is still uncertain. That gives us a solid 30 minute set time. We can come on stage and bang out a short set - which is perfect when you are supporting larger acts. It also helped at CMJ as the sets there were only 30 minutes long.

Were you and the guys (Ian and Nate and Jeff) surprised by the quality of Chunk of Change? 
Not at all. I've known Michael through friends before I started playing music with him. and I heard the music he has made in the past, such as Body on Body. I really enjoyed his previous work, so when I heard Chunk of Change for the first time I just felt that he nailed the writing and production of a strong indie pop EP.

What do you find appealing about Michael's songs? 
The melodies and counter melodies are great. The songs have depth to them, but are still very simple, and a well-written pop song is timeless. The sound changes, but the formula is still consistent. Michael found a way to communicate this style in an original and effective way. My Iraqi mother enjoys listening to it and even commented on how she thought Michael sounded like Kate Bush. I was shocked that my mother even knew Kate Bush! Michael's songs are appealing to a wide group of people, which unfortunately upsets the people who like to pigeon-hole music. But to me that's one of the biggest strengths.

I think one of the remarkable things about Chunk of Change is the way it manages to reference many genres at the same time. Do you think that technology is going to be an arena in which genres cross-pollinate in the near future (i.e. the indie rock kids start buying AKAI keyboards or the hip hop people start buying old Roland 303s on eBay)? 
There has been a specific rise of electro influences in rap music. We saw Kanye and Daft Punk do a live song together after he did their remix. Also Theophilus London (a hip hop front-man from Brooklyn) works with a producer named Machinedrum to craft dirty electro mixes. I use an Akai sampler live - the MPC - which was/is a staple in rap and R&B production. I use it for a different purpose, but gear is just gear and it is how you use the tools that makes a difference. The evolution of music involves the mixing and mashing of genres - stemming back hundreds of years. It only makes sense that technology will provide another reason for this to continue!

The next step in this process involves the album, which is due in early 2009. Do you think everybody's going to get a say in the songwriting, or are you guys basically just hired guns? 
Chunk of Change was a difficult collection of songs to recreate live - especially since they were recorded before we had formed. The approach to the full length is for all of us to be involved to help smooth the transition from record to the live show. For the most part Michael will be writing the songs/starting them off, but as this group has evolved, so have our duties. The recording sessions have already started, and I am not there now as I am finishing up my degree. Nate will be there for most of it to record drums and help with programming, and Ian was just down in the studio contributing ideas, recording parts and twiddling knobs on synths. Who knows, maybe Jeff will even get to record some bass! 

Passion Pit's as-yet-untitled debut full-length will be released in 2009 on Frenchkiss Records. Their next New York appearance, February 4 at the Bowery Ballroom, is already sold out.