Band: Say Anything Member: Max Bemis Label: Doghouse / J Records Location: House of Blues in Orlando, FL Date: July 22nd, 2006 Interviewer: Alli Meyle

I was so excited when I heard that Dashboard Confessional, Say Anything, and John Ralston were coming through Florida, so I just had to see if I could get an interview with Max Bemis, the frontman of Say Anything. We sat on his tour bus, and talked about his first times making music, Molly Connelly, and his future plans.

All pictures were taken from their official site, without permission, and are copyrighted their rightful owner.

Alli: When was the first time you realized that you wanted to make music?

Max: Um, I guess when I was like in fourth grade, I would play piano and I started to like make up my own songs when I was playing. I'd mostly like, copy other people blatantly, because, like, I was in fourth grade.

Alli: What thoughts went through your head when you played your first show?

Max. I dunno. It was really satisfying, it was fun. It's a whole different experience sharing things live with someone, than through a recording. Which was what I was used to.

Alli: How do your thoughts from when you first started, differ from where you're at now?

Max: A lot of incredible things have happened in the band since we've started. I often saw it as just kind of dreams, or something that might happen if we're lucky, but it's really true that if you put in enough hard work and if it's meant to be, like, you can have as much success as you want. So, I've come to believe in that a lot more now, than when I was just coming up, and didn't think anything would really happen in the band.

Alli: How did you guys come up with the band name?

Max: I really liked the movie when I was growing up, I was like 16.

Alli: Were there any other names you were considering?

Max: I don't really remember, I'm sure there were. I think I made like a whole list. But I ended up sticking with Say Anything so I don't really know.

Alli: How has the band, and the music, changed since you first started out?

Max: The band has gone through like eight different member line-ups. I mean I was in high school, and now I'm like 22, so it's like only Coby has stayed in the band the entire time, the drummer.

Alli: A lot of your lyrics seem like there are personal stories attached to them, is that where you draw most of your inspiration from?

Max: Yes. Yeah pretty much all…even if it's just like only a metaphor…or if there's some altercations to the truth, it's still based on experience.

Alli: This is a question I've always wanted to ask you. What's the deal with Molly Connelly?

Max: *chuckle* She's, I mean, it's like a song about how a girl can affect a guy for the rest of his life. Just one girl can give you tons of problems, and just screw you up. But also it's from the point of view of being, how someone can mess with your life's work. It's also from the point of view of being in a band, or being any kind of artist. It's like you give up the ability to have an easy relationship when you live a certain life.

Alli: So was Molly Connelly a real girl? Or…?

Max: The name isn't real. But it's a few stories put together.

Alli: When you recorded Admit It!!!!! Did you find that your fan base became comprised of the types of the people in the song, or was it just the opposite?

Max: The song is pretty general; it really applies more on a person to person basis. You can't just really like look out into a crowd and, but if you're thinking about just like…I don't think that many people who are really full of themselves, and exclusive, would really like Say Anything. Personally, I haven't experienced that many people who are like that. I've experienced a lot of people who are like, "I don't like a lot of music, but I like Say Anything." But that's not the type of thing that I'm saying in the song. It's like, you're looking down on anything that's not completely obscure. It's like, you can't completely tell by looking at someone if the song applies to them or not.

Alli: What's it like touring with Dashboard?

Max: It's great! This is the second time we've ever toured with them, and Chris is a good friend and the kids are always really receptive at Dashboard shows. You never know what you're getting when you open for someone else, as opposed to playing your own show. But the kids seem to be really receptive, and I really like Dashboard as an artist as well.

Alli: What's your favorite city that you've played in so far?

Max: Um…I really like playing…I think our favorite show ever was…Philadelphia? It was really insane, it was like the biggest show we've ever done. But the kids were just, I dunno, it was at the TLA this last month, it was really awesome.

Alli: What's your favorite part of touring?

Max: My favorite part is performing. And just seeing the reactions that kids have to us, and seeing how we affect people's lives.

Alli: What's your least favorite part of touring?

Max: Just like, the, it gets to be very repetitive, and it kinda makes you go out of your mind. Like in The Shining. It's like you can't help to like start to develop weird stuff cause you've just been doing this all the time, and you're away from home. So that's hard.

Alli: What are you most looking forward to in the future?

Max: The next album. Recording the next album and taking some time off.

Alli: What's next for Say Anything?

Max: We have one last tour that we're gonna do, and then we are going to record the next record at the beginning of the New Year.

Alli: Well thanks so much!

Max: Oh it was no problem.