Wavves and Say Anything Wanted to Make a Mall Emo Record — “Deathx1k” Is the Proof

The origin of Cherry Soda is simple enough: Nathan Williams of Wavves dug into Max Bemis’ catalog, came out the other side in shock at how good it was, and started wondering what an early 2000s Wavves emo record would sound like. That was the pitch. “To make a mall emo record,” Williams says. Bemis was in. They co-wrote ten songs, brought in producer Aaron Rubin (Blink-182) to shape the sound, and the result is out September 18 on I Surrender Records.

What makes Cherry Soda work is that neither writer just played to their strengths. “He became more emo and I became more Wavves-y,” Bemis says. “I think we brought out some of the stuff that isn’t most obvious in each other.” Lead single “Deathx1k” lands right at that intersection: Wavves’ noise-pop DNA running under Say Anything’s confessional energy, co-written by two people who push each other toward somewhere neither would have gone alone. The video was directed by Stephen Coad.

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1“Keep What Hurts”

2“Deathx1k”

3“Gone Away”

4“So Low”

5“Still Alive”

6“Cherry Soda”

7“Sell You Hope”

8“Litterbug”

9“Pretend Again”

10“Pinesol”