Say Anything announced on August 29 that frontman Max Bemis would postpone a series of upcoming acoustic performances. The band said the postponement was due to the need to "prioritize his mental health and personal well-being."
The postponement followed allegations last week that Bemis had sent flirtatious messages to underage fans. Screenshots of the alleged messages, involving two teenage fans, were shared to the Say Anything subreddit.
The allegations have cast doubt on a forthcoming collaborative album between Say Anything and Wavves called Cherry Soda, scheduled for release on September 18. In a Patreon chat, Wavves frontman Nathan Williams said: "I don't want to be associated with the guy, and so it's as simple as that."
On Wavves' official Instagram, a statement said: "Not sure what to say but fuck Max. Fuck Say Anything." The statement added that Williams spent 11 months making the record while Bemis spent 4 days. Williams also said on Patreon that he composed the majority of Cherry Soda and that Bemis "barely wrote anything."
When asked if the album could be re-recorded as a solo LP, Williams suggested it "wouldn't be hard." He noted, however, that 10,000 copies of the record had already been pressed. As of this writing, Cherry Soda remained available for pre-order through Rough Trade.