Say Anything’s major-label debut and second LP, …Is a Real Boy, is a masterful mix of angst, social commentary, and theatricality. It’s also the album Say Anything frontman Max Bemis ranks as his best work. But creating the album was a taxing process, costing him his physical and mental health, and resulting in a manic episode. We sat down with Bemis to talk about the creation of the album, his mindset at the time, and what he would change about the experience.

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