Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Steve Smith from the iconic band The Vapors as well as a first listen of their new album titled ‘Wasp In A Jar’.
To have a chat with one of the musicians in this band is something I can take to my grave. Think bucket list meets dream. And, to find out that they’re just normal guys that hasn’t let any of this go to their heads makes it cathartic on top of that. What I mean is that they are the epitome of what true independent artists are: independent.
And, with the release of their latest album, ‘Wasp In A Jar’, their continuing and seamless flair to remain both relevant and fresh in their music shows the talent behind the craft.
In this interview, we talk with Steve about the longevity of The Vapors, both in music and the music industry, as well as the evolution of the band and the lives of those in it, plus much more.
‘Wasp In A Jar’
With ‘Wasp In A Jar’, the new album from The Vapors, that core sound of a band that helped shape rock and pop music from the early eighties onward, retains that said core sound while expanding the music with fresh songwriting and anthemic hooks. This is clearly a group of lads that enjoy what they’re doing. To be in the music business as long as they have and to have gotten as big as they are while retaining their own sound, free of influence and full of originality shows in each track with feeling of geniuses and the core sound of indie music.
While each track has an overall feel, its what sets them apart that keeps the overall story beyond interest. Think of this as a book. Each chapter is different yet pushes the story along. That, to me, makes this what I call a ‘roadtrip’ album. Just find track 1 and hit play and let the experience define the road.
About ‘Wasp In A Jar’
The exuberant fun that the band had in the studio translates well to the finished album. The follow-up to 2020’s Together, the new album follows its three predecessors in conveying an individual feeling of its own, both lyrically and musically. “We just felt that the title Wasp In A Jar captured the feel of the album – that sort of bottled up angst,” says guitarist Danny Fenton. “There are some slower, more heartfelt moments on the album, but on the whole, it’s a fairly punk record. It wasn’t something we sat down and planned, but the band came from punk in the late ‘70s, so we just kind of leaned into that in the studio.”
Built around classic punk riffage with a chorus that opens up and toys with expectation, opening track “Hit The Ground Running” retains the breakneck rhythms that fans know and love from their previous releases. With nary a moment to catch a breath, The Vapors follow it up with “The Human Race” which Danny describes as a kind of “ballad of The Vapors.” “Carry On,” a statement about the current climate (“When the government needs to know / That’s when the government needs to go”), weaves around shimmering arpeggiated chords and Dave Fenton’s haunting vocal lines (“Carry on / As if nothing happened / Carry on / Like we did before”) before evolving into an epic and soaring outro that begs for an audience singalong.
“That’s like asking a parent who’s their favorite child,” replies Danny when asked his favorite songs on the album. “They all have significance to us in their own different ways. ‘The Human Race’ is about the band, ‘Look Away Now’ is about Dave dealing with his Parkinson’s Disease and ‘Miss You Girl’ is about children wanting to move out of the family home. That’s not to say that they are the three I’m most proud of… we are proud of them all.”
Dave’s lyrics are as observational, poetic and open to interpretation as ever. If New Clear Days (1980) mixed commentary about the mundanities of late ‘70s/early ‘80s life combined with the paranoia stirred up by the state of the world as it was back then, Magnets (1981) brought a more personalized study and Together (2020) – a joyful celebration of the eventual reunion, then Wasp In A Jar is a combination of all three… all of which are glued together here by current personal and global commentaries, all performed by a band full of ability, confidence and positivity and very clearly enjoying themselves, 45 years on from their recorded debut.
About The Vapors
Best known for their major worldwide 1980 hit “Turning Japanese,” The Vapors originally split in 1981 after two short years producing six singles, two albums, three major US tours, an Australian tour, and countless shows in the UK. After a 35-year hiatus, the band reformed for a series of four shows in Ireland and England in 2016 which were so well received that they continue to tour extensively, with over 160 gigs played since, with a comeback album, Together, in 2020 and several download singles released along the way.
With 2025 kicking off the next chapter for The Vapors, the band are looking at a full plate of activity. “2025 is shaping up into a very busy year for us,” says Danny. “We have the album out on February 28th accompanied by a tour of UK grassroots venues in March. Then we have some UK shows with Big Country in April and May and then we are returning to the US for the Lost ’80s tour with A Flock of Seagulls, Big Country, Josie Cotton, Icicle Works, Belouis Some and many others.”
“At this rate, we will be releasing our fifth album at some point next year,” laughs Steve. “My hopes for 2025 is that everyone loves the album and we can continue performing our music all over the world. Really excited to get this new album out and see what it can do. We originally got back together for just four gigs, so to have written, recorded and released two albums is a real bonus.”
The Vapors is Dave Fenton (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Steve Smith (bass), Michael Bowes (drums), Danny Fenton (guitar). Wasp In A Jar will be released on February 28, 2025 via Vapors Own Records and was recorded and produced by Michael Giblin (The Split Squad) at Mechanicsburg, PA and mastered by Greg Reierson at Rare Form Mastering.
LINKS:
https://www.thevapors.co.uk/
https://facebook.com/TheVaporsOfficial
https://instagram.com/thevaporsofficial
