Wasperjaws to release new album with free party at the Capitol Theatre

Clinton Americana band Wasperjaws will celebrate the release of its new album, “In-Law Country,” with a free party at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at the theater, 104 E. Main St. in downtown Laurens. Admission is free and the public is invited.

The evening will feature live music from the band, along with pizza, a cakewalk and prizes. Tapes, CDs, vinyl, T-shirts and other merchandise will be available for purchase. Guests who would like to contribute to the cakewalk are encouraged to bring a cake to donate.

“We want this to feel like a party for our community,” said Danny Smith, who writes the songs and sings lead for the band. “We don’t play live very often, but the Capitol Theatre is the perfect place for hearing these songs for the first time. We’ll play several songs live and for other songs we’ll give everyone a chance to hear the finished recordings.”

Wasperjaws came together in February 2020 to record songs Smith had written, meeting on Sunday afternoons to work through the material before laying down tracks. The group performs original Americana built on plainspoken lyrics, simple melodies and vocal harmony, a sound often compared to John Prine and the Avett Brothers.

The band is made up of Smith on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dave “Tips” Marley on harmony vocals, piano and percussion, Everett Conaway on bass and Ashley Smith on harmony vocals.

Wasperjaws drew regional attention with its first album, “Nine Good Songs,” which earned a nomination for best album in the Upstate Music Awards and a public endorsement from Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers, who shared the record with his own followers.

The band’s music is available on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and other digital platforms.

“In-Law Country” is the group’s newest collection of original songs, and will be available to stream on Oct 16.