In a case of truly strange bedfellows, emo rockers Say Anything and surf rock weirdos Wavves have announced a new collaborative album. Spanning 10 tracks, Cherry Soda is due out September 18th via I Surrender Records. Teaming up with producer Aaron Rubin (Blink 182), the bands’ respective frontmen Max Bemis and Nathan Williams wrote and recorded the majority songs between November 26th, 2025 and March 31st, 2026 in San Diego. (Bemis isn’t credited on three album tracks: “Keep What Hurts,” “Still Alive,” and “Litterbug.”) As for how the pair got together in the first place, a press release cites a shared tendency toward such illustrious collaborations: Wavves and Cloud Nothing released 2015’s No Life For Me, and Bemis was once a member of the supergroup Two Tongues (alongside members of Perma and Saves the Day).
In a statement, Nathan Williams said that Max Bemis was “Wavves adjacent,” adding, “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.”
Collaborative Creative Process
Speaking to their resulting creative process, Max Bemis said, “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.”
Our first taste of Say Wavves/Wavves Anything comes with “Deathx1k.” Per their statements, it is a decidedly catchy synthesis of both Say Anything and Wavves, with the former’s cerebral, extra personal lyrics (touching on substance abuse) layered atop the latter’s shiny, beach-ready rock noise. If you’re fans of one band or both, “Deathx1k” just might give you new life. Below, check out music video directed by Stephen Coad, which features some extra rad claymation.
Pre-Orders and Touring History
Pre-orders for Cherry Soda are available now. Outside of their collaboration, Say Anything celebrated the 20th anniversary of …Is a Real Boy across spring 2024. Wavves, meanwhile, released their latest record, SPUN, just last summer.
Cherry Soda Album Artwork and Tracklist have also been revealed. The tracklist includes 10 songs: “Keep What Hurts,” “Deathx1k,” “Gone Away,” “So Low,” “Still Alive,” “Cherry Soda,” “Sell You Hope,” “Litterbug,” “Pretend Again,” and “Pinesol.”
In conclusion, the unexpected collaboration between Say Anything and Wavves has resulted in a unique and captivating album, Cherry Soda. With its blend of emo and surf rock, this album is sure to appeal to fans of both genres. The album’s release on September 18th is highly anticipated, and with pre-orders already available, fans can eagerly await the arrival of this exciting new music. The collaboration between Max Bemis and Nathan Williams has brought out the best in both artists, and Cherry Soda is a testament to the power of creative collaboration.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
