Say Anything’s Max Bemis Postpones Shows Amid Allegations of Messaging Underage Fans

Max Bemis, the lead singer of Say Anything, has postponed a series of acoustic performances due to allegations that he sent inappropriate messages to underage fans. The band announced on Instagram that Bemis needed to prioritize his mental health and personal well-being. Accusations of inappropriate behavior were first made public last week when screenshots of flirtatious messages allegedly sent by Bemis to two teenage fans were shared on the Say Anything subreddit.

These allegations have also raised questions about the status of a collaborative album between Say Anything and Wavves, titled Cherry Soda, set to release on September 18. In a private chat viewed by Pitchfork, Wavves' frontman, Craig Owens, stated that "on a professional level [Bemis] was awful" and that he didn't want to be associated with Bemis.

Owens added that he didn't care about the potential losses, and it was as simple as that. Wavves' official Instagram also echoed this sentiment, saying that they were sorry and that they spent 11 months making the record, while Bemis spent only 4 days. Bemis claimed to have composed most of the album, but Owens didn't rule out the possibility of re-recording it as a solo LP, explaining that it wouldn't be hard since Bemis allegedly "barely wrote anything."

However, he pointed out that 10,000 records had already been pressed, making it difficult. As of now, Cherry Soda is still available for pre-order via Rough Trade. Williams and Bemis had first announced the collaborative album in July, when they released the lead single "Deathx1k." At that time, Bemis said that the two artists "kind of wrote to each other's situations" and that they brought out the best in each other.