We are Max Bemis of Say Anything and Anthony Raneri of Bayside, ask us anything!

I can't think of two artists who have gotten me through life as much as you two. On so many different levels thank you both for your music.

A question for both of you, What took so long for you guys to tour together? It seems like an easy choice to me but I've been a fan of both of you for over 14 years.

Max How do you feel about Bayside's music and what are your fave songs/album of theirs?

and for Anthony the reverse, what of Say Anything/Max's other works are your favorite?

I'd love to hear the answers to this!!

that's a good question! i've always been a fan of Bayside and we have the same friends and booking agent. There are bands that are basically brothers of ours that we haven't toured with yet and bands that i hardly know that we've toured with, so often the most obvious thing crops up kind of randomly in your head when you've got so much going on as a musician. I will say I did have a "duh" moment when the tour was suggested because it's such a perfect fit.

Hey Anthony! I'm a huge Bayside fan and the mod over at the Bayside subreddit, /r/baysideisacult. You should check it out!

Is it true that everyone is Bayside is having kids so that you guys can teach them to play music and start the next rock supergroup?

that's awesome!

and yes, I do think our kids will all be forming a ripping band in the near future

Hi Max! Long time fan, first time caller. Thanks for doing this.

1. Any plans to celebrate 10 years of In Defense (my personal favorite)?

2. Is the Song Shop Fail thing still happening?

3. WHEN NEW ALBUM?!

4. Will you and Sherri adopt me?

yes, yes, 2018, yes -mb

Hey Max! At the end of "A walk through hell" it sounds like you're telling a story. You say something along the lines of "And I was like stepping on it like... stomp ...but there was no damage." I was wondering if you remembered what story you were telling? I've been curious about it for years

^{Also I made this kinda trippy picture of you}

ha!i think i almost rear ended someone, which did periodically in high school - MB

I'd just like to say that being a kid from Long Island in the early 2000's, listening to Bayside and being able to connect with people through your music, got me through some of the toughest times of my life. How does it feel knowing you've influenced so many lives?

it's a pretty heavy thing. it's kind of a lot of responsibility but I just think about the bands that have influenced me and it's cool to think that I am that to someone else -anthony

Max, I say this in the best way, I only knew say anything from "Wow, I can get sexual too". You came to Grand Rapids mi on a tour with modern baseball. Then I had your entire discography playing nonstop for the next month. You put on a hell of a show. ANYWAYS how does it feel to have the two most creative and sweet girls I've ever seen? I'm huge on Sherri's Instagram and they both seems so happy! Thank you for the jams and parenting inspiration.

thank you so much. we ARE very very happy and i feel very very lucky to have stumbled into having an awesome family =MB

Hi Max,

You wrote me a song once and I loved it. What inspired you to start doing Song Shop?

Edit: Also, the Say Anthing/Saves The Day 10/15 Year Anniversary Show at the OC Observatory was honestly the best show I ever went to in my life. Thank you so much.

Also, Anthony, I fucking love Bayside. I'm sad I'm missing your tour this time around.

why are you missing it? hope you have a good excuse -Anthony

Who's more punk Max or Anthony?

ant - mb

Elaborate?

i'm pretty sure ant grew up going to punk and hardcore shows in new york whereas i grew up playing with Maroon 5 on the fucking sunset strip - MB

Max, One of my favorite songs from you is "Ahh...Men" off of Say Anything's self titled album. Can you talk a little bit about your head space when writing that song? Does the song mean anything to you now that it's been quite a few years since you wrote it?

still means very much to me as I'm a believer in the metaphysical and the oneness of the universe and the song is about my devotion to things that are larger than myself, which i king of how i keep myself centered and find meaning in this weird fleeting life - mb

Hey Max, your experiences with bipolar, anxiety, depression, drug/alcohol abuse etc. are pretty inspiring and your art has helped a lot of people get through their struggles with mental disorders and disabilities, including myself. I know that you're likely far beyond the worst of it, but how do these things--if at all--effect your present-day life with touring, multiple projects and family? Been a fan of your's for awhile, best wishes to you.

thank you for your wishes! i still deal with my disorder every day but thankfully a healthy lifestyle and medication deals with what could be total insanity. the rest is just being a really emotional guy who takes things in deeply and has powerful feelings, but i wouldn't trade that for anything now that i'm surrounded by people who love and support me. It totally works and everyone has their shit in life to deal with -MB

this is for both anthony and max, but out of every song either of you have ever written, which is your favorite to play live?

as of right now i really like playing "so numb" - MB

Favorite episode of The Office?

Prison Mike -anthony

Max, any chance you'll take on some recent political issues via song? Your bluntness is refreshing.

our next record isn't political but it's socio-political in nature and is about one aspect, a direct product of the kind of society that could actually elect Donald Trump - mb

Serious question: Would either of you play at my wedding?

max will -anthony

Does he have his license to officiate too?

i have a license to kvetch - mb

To both of you: I always wonder if members of my favorite bands (especially live) go to concerts (and not just go back stage, but just attend a concert). Do you? If so, what are some of your favorite bands to see live?

i go pretty often. RxBandits are one of my favorite bands to see live -anthony

social anxiety prevents me from seeing many of the bands i want to see - mb

Hey Anthony, long time Bayside fan here.

I've always wondered, what's the story behind the bird logo?

Thanks and keep up the great music!

our friend Jason designed it when Sirens and Condolences came out and put it on the album art. We just stuck with it for a while and it kind of came to represent everything that we tried to stand for as people and in our music -anthony

Anthony! This is bayside question, would you guys ever do an anniversary tour for shudder?

it's possible. When Self Titled turned 10, we just pulled it out randomly and unannounced at a couple of shows. We may do something like that or a full anniversary tour. -anthony

Hey Max! Just here to say I fell in love with my now husband to I Want To Know Your Plans. You're a bit of a legend (in general) but also in Oceanside, NY, where I'm from. What's the story with the weird, creepy mannequin at the tuxedo shop? Do you know what I'm talking about? Anyway, you and Sherri and Lucy and Coraline are serious family goals.

i'm pretty sure my ex-girlfriend stole or defaced it (no hate, just saying it wasn't me) - mb

Anthony. Can we expect a solo album from you anytime soon? I absolutely love your solo work

i hope that I can get the time to again. Bayside keeps me pretty busy and I always said that I would never take time away from the band to work on the solo stuff. Whenever there is a gap in Bayside's schedule again, i'd love to -anthony

Hey Max! I want a song so bad from song shop but I'm so confused about what I want it to be about. What topics do you really love writing about for song shop songs?

personally, anything i great but i confess i enjoy the slightly "deeper" songs more whether they're positive or negative. feelings, bro - mb

Hey! Been a fan for about 10 years! (Almost 27 now :))

Max, in your song Alive With the Glory of Love, is it true it is after your grandparents in Auschwitz? Can you tell me any background?

Love, a fellow Jew!

yup, my grandparents (who i actually was never close with) fell in love with each other with the backdrop of WW2 and my grandma was in Auschwitz right before they met

-MB

On a personal level, what are a few of your favorite films?

Fiddler on the Roof is probably my favorite but I also love the Godfather and most Woody Allen movies - Anthony

Annie Hall, yo! I'm with Anthony

-mb

Max, it seems like you and your wife and raising your kids to be free spirits and they seem so happy on SM. Do you guys have any sort of parenting philosophy?

certainly allowing them to express themselves fully and giving them as much love and support as possible while teaching them to be kind to each other and other people - MB

For both: How do you like your eggs?

sunny side up -anthony

poached y'all -mb

Both - What's the weirdest moment you've ever had with a fan, or fans?

Anthony - I can't decide which video I love more, Pigsty or Devotions & Desires. Which did you have more fun doing?

Last, I hope I end up being able to make it to your show in Pontiac this year. It's not looking good.

I had a lot of fun filming both videos. The D&D video was kind of a big production with a lot of people over a couple of days but the Pigsty video we literally just played dodgeball all day. both fun in different ways

Two random questions for the both of you 1) Favorite city to play in Texas? 2) Favorite shows on Netflix currently?

i think the shows are the best in either Austin or San Antonio but i really like being in West Texas

And I just finished Downton Abbey on Amazon -anthony

Anthony, when did you start singing/writing and how do you maintain your voice on long tours?

I never sang in a band before Bayside so I've been singing for 17 years but I've been writing songs since I was 9. Maintaining your voice on tour is all about technique. I have worked at perfecting my technique for a long time. -anthony

Hi Max! I'm a longtime megafan that has been to every one of your shows in Orlando since 2005, and some in other states also. Happy 11th birthday to the ... is a Real Boy album! Just a few questions:

1) Why did you choose to write the song "Less Cute" from a female perspective? Was it difficult writing from the perspective of the opposite gender?

2) What is your favorite SA song with Sherri? (mine is Six Six Six)

3) How are your girls doing on the road so far? I hope mini-Max (aka Coraline) isn't throwing too many tantrums!

Bonus question: At your HOB show summer 2015 in Orlando, I crowd surfed to Ahhh... Men and when I got to the front you held out the mic so I could sing a couple lyrics. I also touched your chest. Do you remember me? Probably not, but it was top 3 best moments of my life and I didn't shut up about it for weeks after.

1) The song is about someone's reaction to misogyny so the story and the character appeared in my mind as female. But I've been there myself in certain ways.

2) I like "So Good" and "Cemetery" since they're so blatantly about her. Actually my favorite is probably "The Shape of Love to Come" for the same reason.

Hey guys. This one's for Max. Over Say Anything's history you've had an awesome amount of guest vocalists on the albums. Who's your favorite or the one person you would've never guessed you'd have featured on one of your tracks?

anthony, obviously -mb

Hey Guys, I understand you're Musicians but when your not touring or writing music, Do you have day jobs?

no -anthony

sometimes i consider the idea of being a part time night watchman so i can just sit and read and get paid some random spending money for it, but I couldn't handle the pressure of possibly having to fight or shoot an intruder - mb

-m

Hi guys! My question is for Max- First off, thank you for your beautiful tunes. Seriously. They've gotten me through so much. Anyways - Say Anything has some pretty serious fans. Has there ever been a fan at a show that just went overboard to the point where you had to be like, "Dude, calm down"? With that being said, have you ever had a fan that just blew you away with how INTO the show they are?

well, during smaller shows with a pit sometimes i'll get grabbed or lovingly choked out which can be kind of intense, and does invoke a sort of calm-down thought, though i appreciate the whole thing. pretty much every show has fans that blow me away with their enthusiasm and especially knowing all the words to the songs ( : -MB

Anthony, love your music man. I've been listening for a long time. Huge fan with only one gripe. Back in 2007 or 2008 you played warped. In Los Cruces NM you tweeted that "to say it was the worst show ever would be an understatement". I kinda thought you were a dick for that, considering you came on at 6 pm on a day that got to 112 degrees. I've always wondered, was it a problem with the sweaty drained crowd, or a problem on stage?

you know, I'm just a regular person. sometimes, i don't like things. i really don't remember that show in particular or what was wrong with it but sometimes I play shows I didn't like and sometimes I watch movies I didn't like. I think people depend on me to be honest -anthony

All for Anthony (Sorry Max!) -First of all -- your music has absolutely changed my life - but.....Do you check your Instagram DM's?

Also:

1) Will you have Vinyls available on this tour? I've been trying to get one for years (I want my purchase to yield you the MOST money - so I'd rather buy stuff directly from the band)

2) Can I somehow play guitar on a song at the DENVER stop of this upcoming tour? I know that kind of interaction with fans is typically not Bayside's thing.. but hey, worth a shot.

3) Would it be possible to do a quick 5 minute interview with you in person for an upcoming project?

Please don't stop.

I am very bad with social media. I try and at least read comments but i never really check messages

are you better than jack?

you are interviewing me now

I love both of your lyrical styles. Where/When/How do you write lyrics to get such a great final product?

I'm constantly fine tuning mine. I start by writing things before there is any music. I just write it as stream of consciousness with no meter or rhyme. Then I put it to music and turn it into lyrics. I keep tweaking it all the way until the record is recorded. -anthony

For Max, who're you're biggest inspirations lyrically? Some of your lyrics are so profound and/or poetic I'm just curious if there are any particular lyricists, poets, writers or any other type of person who've inspired your style and how those influences have changed with the years and records.

(Sorry if this is badly worded)

EDIT: I'm gonna see you guys in Richmond and I'm so hype

Jewish comedians have always been the biggest inspiration fort my writing.. Robert Klein, Woody Allen, Larry David. In terms of lyricists, hip hop was big for me growing up so Tupac and Biggie are a big influence. My friend Chris Conley as well. -MB

Anthony, I just moved to NYC what are some must check out bars etc?

I don't really go to bars but you have to eat at the Parkside in Corona -Anthony

To Anthony, what do you think about St. Louis, Missouri? Rumor round here is that Bayside hates playing here

it's not my favorite city in the world - anthony

Anthony, Bayside had gotten me out of some really dark times when I was younger and I'm really grateful for that. It's a big reason for why I try to make every concert I can in NY you guys do. Holiday shows are always a blast. One question for ya,

1) Are you the one who does that piano for baby Britain and other songs like string me along?

Max, I've always wanted to see say anything live and I'm really looking forward to finally getting the chance!

I play some of the piano on the recordings but sometimes we bring in experts. I played on String Me Along but not baby britain -anthony

Anthony - I heard an interview where you said that Bayside is just punk rock showtunes. Have you ever tried to put together a list of songs in a narrative that would translate to a show ala American Idiot?

that would be pretty cool

Anthony, where can I hear your smiths cover band?!???

We only payed one show. We might do some more though. It's a lot of fun - anthony

dear max, i can't tell you how much you have helped me over the years through your music. i have to be honest and say i love you and never give up on music :D

my question for you max is, while you wrote the song "tradewaiter" for Polarity, what did you mean you wrote "just wait til you see what comes next, you wont know,what hit you"

second question, do you plan on writing anymore Polarity song? or comic books?

third question, are you working on any new albums for SA right now?! can we get a sneak peak of it?

fourth question, when are you coming to Rochester New york next? i know your going to buffalo NY but i dont have the money to travel there or for the tickets :C so next time you tour please come to Rochester NY

Hi! That was an allusion to Tim's life post-story, which I would love to return to in some form, especially as a sequel comic.

-MB

Ant - I've posed this notion to you a couple times before in person, but I absolutely loved when you and Nick did Gumshoe Radio... one day, it would be so sweet if you guys would throw a podcast of sorts together if you can find time in your schedule; any interest?

i would love to. we had a lot of fun with Gumshoe. We're all so busy these days though, I'm not sure we'd be able to. I wish I could just put a show together whenever I had time but i think that those things come with expectations of consistency that I can't commit to -anthony

Max, would you ever consider just playing guitar for a side-project band?

have always wanted to - mb

Hey guys! Going to get specific; What is your favorite Elliott Smith song?

pitseleh -mb

My heart is seriously pumping right now! Max and Anthony, I am SO happy you're touring together. You both got me through my teen years and I've passed my love for you to my younger brother. We are going to your Baltimore show coming up!!!

A few questions... Max, what is bus life like with Sherri, Lucy and Coraline? Not everyone tours with family and I just love thinking of you all in that bus together! What'd the funniest thing that has gone on?

Anthony, I feel like your music and just general feel has changed a lot over the years. Do you feel different? How has the whole scene changed over the years?

Final question,
Will you be performing This is Fucking Ecstasy together?

Feel free to answer some or none of that. I'm just excited thinking that you'll see my questions!! See you soon!

bus life rules with my family. i've tried doing it without them and frankly, it's dark. funny stuff happens pretty much every day because they're huge characters and are really used to their kooky lifestyle -mb

i'm sure that i've changed a lot as a person since I was 17. It's myself and it's gradual so it's hard to really tell.

The scene hasn't changed much, honestly. I have a different view of it but what I was doing and listening to when I was 15, i think the 15 year olds now are doing. It's just Neck Deep now instead of Nofx. The bands are different and the kids are different but the scene is still there

-anthony

Hi Max and Anthony, love both of your music ! My question is what is your favorite song from each other's band? Also would you ever consider doing a cover of that song?

The song I sing on of course!! - anthony

blush they're not horses they're unicorns- mb

Max, what is Rum and The Stephen Hawking about? They're my two favorite songs but I can't figure them out! Can't wait to see you guys on May 6th!

rum is just a song about feeling confident and happy and alive being in a less than credible punk band. stephen hawking is about an immature spat i was in at the time, but it kind of links to the idea of anger and how to manage it, being a free spirit as well as maintaining self respect - mb

Hey Max, two questions for you.

Firstly, do you have a favorite NHL team? If so, is it the Penguins?

Secondly (or uh, I guess thirdly), if you feel comfortable answering this, will Two Tongues tour at some point? I was super bummed this one was cancelled as I had tix to go with my brother, but I totally understand that there were reasons for the cancelling...doesn't mean I don't wanna see you and CLC shred it together at some point though. <3

PS: Sherri seems like the best mom ever and her Instagram is the 8th wonder of the world.

two tongues will totally utterly tour one day! and thank you ( : m

Hey Anthony, Huge fan of your music, seen you guys (full band+solo) at least 15 times around the Philly area.

What's the song writing / album process like now compared to when you guys were a younger band? I imagine it's got to be a lot different since you are all living further away/out of town. Is the excitement still there, is it easy to get the guys together? Vancancy is my favorite Bayside album now, just ahead of Walking Wounded, <3

it's not that easy to get everyone in the same room but we just do all of our writing remotely now. We spend a long time in the studio with vacancy just working out things that we would have worked out in rehearsal if we lived in the same state -anthony

Anthony - do you have any plans of playing Winter, Dancing Like an Idiot or Anthony's Song live at any point?

We might play Dancing Like and Idiot at some point. We've never played Winter and I don't think we ever will. I'm really glad that in the 11 years since it came out so many people have gotten so much from it but to me, it was the closing of a chapter that i don't want to revisit or share with a room full of people -anthony

Who are some of the emerging or contemporary artists that you guys have been listening to/following? Also, can't express how excited I was to see that you guys would be sharing a headlining tour... unreal. See you in Michigan and be well!

I'm really into the Menzingers new record and Tacocat right now -anthony

Anthony, How did you guys feel in the UK in 2015? Your show in Hackney, London will never leave my memory - I saw you pre-show at the bar and said hello as you walked by, to end up front row in the venue. I've been a fan for a long time and was surprised at the size of the venue honestly. What did you make of the turnouts personally and will you be coming back any time soon? I'd love to see your newer sets with the inclusion of Vacancy, I think it's one of my favourite records from Bayside and of all time!

I love going to the UK. I love it as a place but the fans are real rabid and don't get to see us too often -anthony

Anthony Raneri, do you ever think of starting your own label?

I do Gumshoe Records but it's really just to release some Bayside and solo records sometimes. There are a lot of aspects in the music industry outside of playing that I really enjoy but I don't think that's one of them - anthony

Any hints on what material we can expect to hear on the upcoming tour?

all kinds of stuff. and we always try to play a lot of old stuff as well as stuff we've never played.

-mb

Anthony, you appear to be a fan of Alkaline Trio - Bayside and Alkaline are 2 of my favorite bands - what do you think about Matt Skiba being a part of Blink 182?

I'm really happy for him. It's a pretty sweet gig

Hey guys! First off, thank you for making the music you do.. it truly is the best. I've always wondered, if you weren't making music or in the music industry, what other profession would you have wanted to do?

i would be writing creatively (movies, comics, books) which I've begun doing anyway (comics) and plan on doing more of. - mb

Hey Max,

Huge fan. Always wait several hours before shows (I think 6 hours last may in Tennessee was my longest wait so far) its a huge event for me every time.

What was your inspiration (beyond the obvious of, ya know, x-men) for your Worst X-Man ever book?

well, the x-men are seen as cool by readers and other characters from the Marvel universe because they're outcasts, but Bailey, the hero of that story, is too "normal" to fit in with outcasts. I often felt that way amongst the liberal community and the punk community because i have an inherent morality and sometimes felt too boring to be actually edgy -mb

Anthony - did you ever see any footage from the show(s?) that the band played when you had to leave tour for the birth of your daughter? Watching Claudio from motion city sing Montauk was actually really fucking sweet haha. The show I'm referring to was in Grand Rapids, but not sure how many were left at that point or if the gang played the remaining shows.

I actually haven't seen any footage from that. I should go look for some - anthony

Anthony! Seriously long time fan. Since Sirens and Condolences. I have a two part question. Going through the number of members you've gone through with the band, how would you describe in your own words the evolution you've gone through in regards to who youre making music with? How much of an influence do your bandmates have on your music writing? Thanks for doing this AMA!

we went through a bunch of members early on but it mainly had to do with people not wanting to make this a full time career. When you start a band with your friend in a basement and then all of a sudden you're on tour for 10 months a year and running a business, it might feel like it isn't what you signed up for - anthony

Max... Would you still sell drugs to your little brothers friends if you ever became broke? Lol.

at this point my brother's friends are mostly fairly religious israelis so i don't think i'd have much luck - mb

Who's idea was it for you to tour together?

we've talked about it for a long time. We have the same agent and I think Max brought it up to him over a year ago. It's taken this long to put it into motion -anthony

Hey guys love both of your bands! Thanks for doing this AMA. Bayside was my first show!

Both of you guys have had juxtaposing outlooks on the way a band progresses its sound (at least from a fan's perspective). Say Anything has grown up and matured with Max, which I love, and Bayside has for the most part remained in a similar style to their earlier works, which I also love, and yet both of you have found success in your respective songwriting techniques. My question is: what are your individual outlooks on how a band should grow up and how has that worked for your respective careers?

there is definitely no right way to go about being in a band. some bands calculate every move and are successful or fail. Some bands just do whatever they want whenever they want it it works out. I love the sound of Bayside and it is fun and challenging to keep the same sound while developing it title by little as we go -anthony

Hi max, how has married life affected your song writing? Would you say it's given you more inspiration/content to your song lyrics?

well, i was only single for our first record and met sherri by our third, so i think relationships have always informed our material, though it's more focused on my reaction to them. I have Perma to just endlessly praise Sherri which is kind of the easiest thing to do, but in Say Anything I try to come from a place that's more universal and can apply to someone who's not in love.

M

Anthony, big fan. How do you decide what song ideas to use for solo stuff and what for Bayside stuff? Do you get an idea and have a plan for which project you want to use it for?

Also, do you feel you achieved the amount of success you set out for or did you envision playing arena shows and the like?

You guys aren't coming to MN this year so I'm contemplating the 6 hour drive to Omaha, you are one of 2 or 3 bands that I do everything in my power to see when you're around.

I usually know before I actually write the song who I'm writing for. It's generally pretty obvious by the time it's done at least.

I don't think that we ever set out to do anything like that. When you're a kid and you start a band with your friends, you never think you're going to go on tour or get a record deal. you just want to play the venue you grew up going to shows at. Then you do and all these crazy things start happening. We make a good living playing music which is more than I ever thought would happen. I think When you keep moving the goal posts on yourself for what success is, you're setting yourself up for misery. -anthony

Ant, first SA song that got your attention? Max, first Bayside song to get your attention?

i saw Say Anything play at the Bowery Ballroom opening for Straylight Run and I distinctly remember as a writer being really inspired and intimidated by Belt. -anthony