Whether you’re an elder emo who’s been around long enough to keep Say Anything’s physical media collections in heavy rotation, or you’ve ventured into the newer surf/punk rock world of Wavves, this might be some of the best collab news you’ve heard since Warped Tour made its comeback.
Wavves and Say Anything released a new single, Deathx1k, as part of their upcoming collaborative album, Cherry Soda. The full album is set for release on September 18th via I Surrender Records, but the new single already boasts a high-energy, inspiring, gritty sound that has cemented these bands as die-hard fan favorites for decades.
Known for over twenty years of raw vocals, rapid rhythm guitars, and drum fills that carry bleeding-heart anthems with effortless flow, Say Anything’s Max Bemis and Wavves showcase songwriting that speaks plainly to the relief of a meaningful companion through dark times:
“I was running out of drugs
But you still made me smile
I was running out of, running out of pills
I shook you held me still
Help me still”
The blend of garage/punk/surf rock coalesces into a thesis of quintessential emo lyricism, refusing to hide from the hell of an internal battle with a bold chin held skyward, Max Bemis and Nathan Williams pen another catchy and brutally honest song in a blended energy they’ve each been penning for the better part of the last twenty years:
“And when we run and hide
(Let’s not end it all today)
We’re still so dead inside
(Let’s not end it all)
Been here a thousand times
(Let’s not end it all today)
It gets so magnified
(Let’s not end it all)”
The marriage of garage/punk/surf rock was born through a creative process in which Max Bemis (Say Anything) and Nathan Williams (Wavves) honor and recognize each of their vulnerable perspectives, underscored by the nostalgic yet novel sound that complements each of their unique struggles with depression, substance abuse, and mental health.
“We kind of wrote to each other’s situations. We’re both very different people, but we get along really well. As writers, we pushed ourselves. He became more emo and I became more Wavves-y. I think we brought out some of the stuff that isn’t most obvious in each other. I may be singing stuff that sounds kind of bleak, but that’s kind of like Nate’s whole shtick, although he’s actually a very sweet, sensitive guy.” – Bemis, Say Anything
Nathan Williams (Wavves) also had more to add on how he was able to connect with Max after years of being in each other’s orbit, so to speak.
“He was Wavves adjacent. He’d been on tour with our drummer (Ross Traver) and our friend Justice Tripp (Angel Du$t). I’m a very curious person creatively, and somehow, Max told me he was a fan. After really digging into his catalog, I was kind of in shock. His records are really interesting. I wanted to see what an early 2000s Wavves emo record would sound like. That was the idea. To make a mall emo record.” – Nathan Williams, Wavves
This track is just the beginning of what’s meant to be a hell of an album, not to mention its promising future with the production of Aaron Rubin (blink-182, Angels & Airwaves, Frank Turner, The New Regime). The Cherry Soda album track list has also been released, leaving listeners guessing on what to expect based on name alone:
01 “Keep What Hurts”
02 “Deathx1k”
03 “Gone Away”
04 “So Low”
05 “Still Alive”
06 “Cherry Soda”
07 “Sell You Hope”
08 “Litterbug”
09 “Pretend Again”
10 “Pinesol”
Complete with a music video, they take their collaboration and creative vision to new yet nostalgic heights, featuring the playful and surreal claymation miniatures of the musicians among bold and colorful symbolism. Without skipping a beat on the song’s impactful meaning and nature, it ends on a final slide encouraging those who need help with depression, suicidal thoughts, or mental health struggles to contact 988 via call or text, including the website for 988lifeline.org.
For Fans Of: Wavves, Say Anything, Turnstile, FIDLAR, PUP, Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day, Circa Survive, Senses Fail, The Gaslight Anthem
Written by Samson Winsor
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