With their fiery new album, Wasp In A Jar, set for release on 28th February, 80s icons The Vapors announce its first single ‘Hit the Ground Running’, out 17th January.
Proving there’s still plenty left in the tank for the creators of the immortal hit ‘Turning Japanese’, new wave stalwarts The Vapors gear up to unleash their latest studio effort Wasp In A Jar. The first single to be released from it also serves as the album opener, ‘Hit the Ground Running’. Arriving with a burst of punk energy, on display is a fury and speed that has remained present since their 80s heyday, complete with frontman Dave Fenton’s lyrics given a snappy delivery.
The Vapors returned in 2020 after a lengthy hiatus and continue to ride the high of their reunion, having toured extensively since getting the band back together, much like they did during their initial two short years. Be sure to catch them at one of their newly announced intimate shows in March following the album’s release.
7th March – Brighton – The Albert
8th March – Bristol – The Thunderbolt
14th March – Manchester – 33 Oldham Street
15th March – Sheffield – Record Junkee
23rd March (early show) – London – Islington Hope & Anchor
Fast-paced, punchy and full of expertly crafted hooks, Wasp In A Jar is the fourth studio album to be released from The Vapors, following their debut LP New Clear Days in 1980, Magnets the following year, and their long-awaited post-hiatus record Together in 2020.
Frontman Dave Fenton’s lyrics are as observational, poetic and open to interpretation as ever, with all songs written over the past year or so. Recording and production was undertaken by Michael Giblin (The Split Squad) in Pennsylvania in September 2024 before being mastered at Rare Form Mastering by Greg Reierson. If New Clear Days combined commentary about the mundanities of late 70s/early 80s life with the global paranoia of the time, Magnets brought a more personalised study and Together 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.
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 and 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.
‘Hit the Ground Running’ from The Vapors is out now with the band’s latest studio album Wasp In A Jar is due out on 28th February.
