Upcoming Blitz Vega Album Celebrates the Life of Andy Rourke

The late Andy Rourke may be gone, but his music lives on. His work with The Smiths was a cornerstone of popular music in the ’80s whose influence is still felt today. Now, an upcoming posthumous release from his band Blitz Vega will continue his legacy.

After releasing the Strong Forever EP, the group will be releasing their debut full-length studio album on April 26th. Northern Gentleman is the culmination of the band that Rourke started with Kav Sandhu, who calls the album a “diary of the last seven years” of their journey together. The album serves as a celebration of Rourke’s life. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer on May 19, 2023.

“Every song tells a story and personally takes me back to a memory recording that song, the drive to the studio. That conversation or whatever happened surrounding the recording session,” Sandhu says. “I hear his voice in my head, replaying everything we talked about when we were recording the song. I see his face smiling at me. On my last trip back to LA a few weeks ago, I was driving to the studio and it felt like Andy was sitting there with me like he had been so many times before, talking about music, just excited to get this album made. So, all the songs mean the world to me.”

Northern Gentleman was written mostly during the pandemic as they were forced to cancel tours. It will include three previously released tracks – “Strong Forever” featuring Johnny Marr, “Lost & Found”, and “LA Vampire” – with seven more originals.

Check out “Strong Forever”:

As for the future of the band, Sandhu says they will take the music on the road, but he’s unsure after that. “We are just taking one step at a time. We definitely want to release all the music we recorded and go on tour. I promised this to Andy,” he says.

Northern Gentleman will be out on April 26th. The Strong Forever EP is out now on vinyl and digital platforms.