Max Bemis by Emily Read is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Who Is Max Bemis?
Max Bemis, though still a stranger to me, is someone I’ve looked up to since I was thirteen years old. I’ve had several song shops (custom songs) commissioned by him. We also talked between songs in 2022 during a private live stream. I’m an ardent fan but am among thousands of others, so I can only assume that he has forgotten exactly who I am.
Yet who exactly is Max Bemis? Bemis is the primary songwriter and only consistent member of the renowned indie rock band, Say Anything (originally having formed in Los Angeles in 2000).
Max has also been involved in several side (and solo) projects: Perma, Two Tongues, Maxim Mental, and (the relatively obscure) Max Bemis & the Painful Splits. Additionally, Bemis has written comics for major publishers like Marvel and DC.
Moon Knight: Legacy may be his most famous written work – but he is best known for releasing cult classic pop-punk albums in the mid to late 2000’s like …Is a Real Boy and the 2-disc, In Defense of the Genre.
Bemis’ art has made a profound impact on the lives of many. For example, Instagram user, @okjeanbean, has mentioned in her comment on the “Maxie’s Choice” Neo-CBT music video that “Say Anything has never just been music for me. It’s been ritual, release, therapy… It turns my wounds into something joyful, like I’m laughing with my own fucking ghosts…”
@okjeanbean’s post resonates with me deeply. For each stage of my life, Max has created a coinciding album. Furthermore, he’s exposed me to other musicians and has responded quickly to my emails when ordering from his shop; when we met, he was genuine, kind, and appreciative of my support.
In the 1927, seventh volume of Marcel Proust’s novel, In Search of Lost Time, the former writes that “through art alone are we able to emerge from ourselves, to know what another person sees of a universe which is not the same as our own …”
It’s for this reason, and many others, that human-made art (no matter how niche) shall remain vital in ensuring the betterment of mankind.
…Is Committed to Being Sleazy?
Last year, when Say Anything released their EP, …Is Sleazy, I read many posts online critiquing Bemis for his rough vocal style and even rougher production efforts. He was also criticized for his choice to cover songs by Animal Collective and The Strokes.
According to an article by the music blogging site, Stereogum, much of this criticism stemmed from when Max announced that Say Anything’s 2024 reunion record “would satirize emo bands ‘trying to be the next Animal Collective or Strokes.’”
Bemis might have released these songs in an effort to mock himself and all fans who oppose him. By so blatantly contradicting his own words, Max seems to have humbled himself – cheekily acknowledging that Say Anything is of no more value than any other band or artist.
…Is Sleazy references Max’s famed sophomore release, …Is a Real Boy, through its title and cover design. It also confronts his reputation to many as someone who is exploitative, pretentious, and unstable. If nothing else, the EP’s theme and drawing of a crushed beer can on its cover address this matter.
Whether you view Bemis negatively or positively, however, one thing is certain: his music has changed since he formed Say Anything 26 years ago. As any of us would have over the course of many years, he has gone through a transformation.
IMG_4112 by Ashley Rehnblom is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Noise Inside Max’s Mind Right Now…
While art is ultimately subjective, skills and precision are required to master each medium. Society also has preconceived notions of what “good” art looks like, deeming much else as “bad” or “fake.” Avant-garde and abstract creators, or those who are “past their prime” fall especially prey to these criticisms.
Yet despite these criticisms, Max’s latest album, released on December 4, 2025, may be his most emotionally driven work to date. The Noise of Say Anything’s Room Without… is also, arguably, his most controversial work, as it includes tracks like Death by Throat and Liking.
These songs, respectively, discuss intensely perverse (and politically driven) intrusive thoughts, as well as what it’s like to have a crush on someone other than one’s own wife.
Musicians sometimes share less openly, as in doing so, a respectable sense of privacy may be maintained. Regardless of just how personal an artist’s creations are, however, I think most would agree that it’s therapeutic to have one’s work acknowledged. Max seems to have needed this support (from his “fanz),” perhaps now more than ever.
For example, on March 31, 2025, Max and Sherri Dupree made posts on social media stating that they would be separating as a married couple.
They made it clear that this was as amiable of a split as possible, stating: “… this is not about anger, blame, or failure. We have given everything to our love, and what we’ve found is that while we are incredible buddies/partners in parenting, the marriage itself is no longer what’s best for us.”
Just over 8 months later, Max released the entirely self-made, The Noise of Say Anything’s Room Without… under the moniker, Say Anything. Vulgar, occasionally heavy, and with virtually no regard for polished vocals or production, this record is not for everyone – and that is okay.
It encapsulates Max’s devastation and rage in the wake of a 20-year breakup, as well as his feelings of loss and unconditional love for his wife and children.
May This “Mixtape” Save You Too
To accompany the record, Say Anything released “Neo-CBT” (cognitive behavioral therapy) sessions for its opening tracks – 5 lyric videos with live footage of Max singing. Online, and within the YouTube descriptions of many of these songs, text was also posted regarding the case notes of made-up psychiatrist, Sandy Weintraub.
The band originally proposed that they would release 21 Neo-CBT lyric videos to accompany each song on the record. Though this never came to fruition, Max got through his 2025-2026 co-headlining tour with Motion City Soundtrack without cancellations (mental-health related or otherwise, the former of which has previously been common for him).
So, what is next for Max Bemis? Well, he has begun recording with Two Tongues again!
However, even with all his evolutions artistically, personally, and as the father of 5 children, he has returned to the comfort of parodying himself and his previous stays at mental institutions.
Yet in his despondency, he has vocalized that he will continue to remain a large presence in his children’s lives:
They’re sitting in the next room. I want to make it clear.
One is ten and one is eight. They’re my light and my moonshine.
And I hope they’re not worried. Lord knows I wasWhen my mother held me to my side
To protect me from the demon in her bed.
But I’m okay.And I hope when they hear me singing right now
They know they’re going to make some fucked-up shit when they get older.
But I will be there. I swear on Christ …
– “Death, Dancing” by Say Anything
Furthermore, Bemis, disguised as Weintraub, has assured in his case notes that “whether [Sandy has] done ‘right’ or wrong by [him], this ‘mixtape’ helped save [his] life …”
In good faith, he explains that “he hopes the result of [their] work may help you too.”
