LOS ANGELES, CA- In 2019, ex-Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and KAV Sandhu of the Happy Mondays launched the Blitz Vega project, a collaboration that had been in the works for years. The two musicians, who first discussed working together backstage at Coachella in 2007, bonded over their shared passion for creating music that transcended their individual histories. Their creative partnership became official in 2019, just before the pandemic and Rourke’s battle with pancreatic cancer disrupted their plans. Sadly, Andy Rourke passed away on May 19, 2023. However, before his passing, he made sure to complete the album Northern Gentleman, which was released on September 27, 2024, in accordance with his wishes. The band is set to tour the album soon, fulfilling a promise Sandhu made to his friend.
Though Northern Gentleman stands as Andy Rourke’s final legacy, it’s more than just a swan song. It’s an impassioned piece of art that showcases Blitz Vega’s identity as a band. Joining KAV and Rourke in the studio were guitarist Greg Gent, drummer Craig Eriksson, keyboardist Asa Brown, and guitarist Thom Arizmendi. The touring lineup includes bassist George Yelding and guitarist Rex Roulette. The band has been steadily releasing videos, including for the songs “Love City” and “Lost Myself,” and recorded a live session at Abbey Road’s studio two. A new video for “Pass The Gun” has just been released, which you can check out at the bottom of this interview. KAV’s vocals throughout the album serve as a powerful testament to the deep bond he shared with his fallen friend.
I had the opportunity to ask KAV some questions about the album, and he shared insights into the project and the impact of Andy Rourke’s legacy. Enjoy.
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MICHAEL BUNUAN: My sincerest condolences on the passing of Andy Rourke. I got to see him live on the Smiths final US Tour at Irvine Meadows back in the 80’s. Since this is his final contribution to your music, How do you plan to continue with Blitz Vega? Will this be a one-off album or do you plan to move forward without him or are you just living in this moment?
KAV SANDHU: I guess we are just living in the moment. I’m personally not thinking about the future too much. It was such an important part of his last seven years. I’m only thinking about fulfilling my promise to him. A few weeks before he passed, he made me promise that I would make sure that the album was released and the band would take it on the road no matter what. I promised I would do that. If I can deliver that much… then we can think about what happens next.
MB: Would you be willing to tell me how the project came to be? What was the spark that lit the fuse, so to speak?
KAV: We’d been talking about working together for years. Andy suggested we should start something back in 2007 backstage at Coachella. I’d just played a show with the Happy Mondays, and he was deejaying one of the after-party attendees. But, you know, you talk about doing a lot of things that never really happen.
Forward a few years to 2016, he was over in Los Angeles, where I was based. He came to the studio to record bass on a track called, “Lost & Found”, and also ended up recording bass on “LA Vampire.” After the session, he said, “We should start a band.” We just enjoyed working together, and everything felt natural. So we decided to start Blitz Vega, although we didn’t officially launch it until 2019.
MB: Was Andy able to play these songs live in front of an audience before he passed?
KAV: He played some of them live to a small audience at Abbey Road, studio two… also at a TV show in London. The only full-band live set we played was at the House of Machines in downtown Los Angeles in July 2019. That was a great show! Andy was so happy to play some of the Blitz Vega stuff live. We did cancel a few tours because his illness would get worse when we were about to go on the road. It’s something he really wanted to do.
MB: When you tour the album, will there be any sort of video montage in Memoriam to Andy?
KAV: We’ve been doing something along those lines for the past few shows. Projecting images from the Blitz Vega documentary footage & artwork. It’s important for us to have him be a part of our shows. But to be honest, you can feel him in the music. Every song makes me feel close to him.
MB: I understand that Johnny Marr laid down some guitar tracks for the song “Strong Forever”. What was it like working with 1/2 of the Smiths?
KAV: Now I think about it, it’s pretty mind-blowing. They are both magical musicians, and it was an absolute honor for me. Andy just called me one day and said Johnny Marr is going to play guitar on “Strong Forever.” It happened at the start of the pandemic, so we sent him the parts to the song, and he sent his guitars back a few days later. It was a moment; it was pretty special to listen to it the first time. Andy was so happy that his friend played on the song, it meant the world to him. They’d grown up together. They were best friends. Andy always described Johnny as his greatest friend. They’d experienced so much together, so to have him come and play guitar on a song and a project that was so important to Andy. Meant the world to him.
MB: What was the writing process like for you? Were there already written parts and lyrics, or did you sit in a room and bounce ideas off each other?
KAV: We didn’t follow any patterns. It just happened. Everything started as a feeling, which sparked a song. Sometimes Andy would come to the studio with an idea or sometimes I would. But it mostly came together in the studio. We just expressed ourselves… it felt natural. Andy was happiest working like that. Not having any chains. Going with whatever felt right.
MB: When you recorded at Abbey Road, what were your thoughts on playing in such an iconic studio? As a Beatles fan, I would’ve been in absolute awe at the opportunity. Did you do the Beatles walk on the crosswalk?
KAV: We didn’t do the walk as a band, but I’ve walked the crossing a few times [laughs]. It was incredible. You could feel the history there. It felt extremely special. We loved recording there. Hopefully, we can release the live session at some point. Both Andy and I are huge Beatles fans, so we were in our element. It was a great day.
MB: One of the album’s highlights is “Lost Myself.” With its big chorus, it feels very triumphant, like the “I was lost, but now I’m found” type of vibe. Can you elaborate on the inspiration behind it, or would you leave it to the listener’s interpretation?
KAV: The first version of the song came back in 2019. It was inspired by our experiences of losing people around that time. When Andy’s illness had finally taken hold in early 2023, I updated the lyrics and wrote about my experience of traveling back and forth from L.A. to New York, where Andy was living and having treatment.
It was difficult to see him like that and I wrote the new verse lyrics on a plane journey from JFK to Burbank. I think it was March 2023, but I think a lot of people can relate to that experience. It’s about being lost but then being able to find some peace in your heart and mind to be able to go on and move forward with life.
MB: In what ways has this experience grown you? What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned?
KAV: To Try your best to enjoy every moment, which is hard done than said. I guess I try my best not to overthink, again which is harder to put into practice. But I guess I’m getting better at it. The last few years have been a little blurry, I’m just focused on what I promised Andy.
MB: Thank you again for your time. I wish you well on all future endeavors. I hope when you tour, you’ll make it somewhere close to me so I can catch the live show. Be well and be blessed.
KAV: Thank you so much for your time. Wishing you all the best.
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