Born from a unique cross-coastal partnership, Blitz Vega - a dynamic rock band split between New York and Los Angeles - was the brainchild of two iconic musicians, Andy Rourke, legendary bassist of the Smiths who passed away from cancer in 2023, and Kav Sandhu, frontman and guitarist for Happy Mondays. Together, they embarked on a creative journey in 2016, officially launching Blitz Vega in 2019. Now, their debut album, Northern Gentleman, serves as both a musical diary and a tribute to the late Rourke’s enduring impact.

Reflecting on the album’s creation, Sandhu describes Northern Gentleman as a snapshot of their time together, capturing their collective highs and lows as they recorded ten tracks across that period. "The album is a diary of the last seven years of the journey we went on recording this music as Blitz Vega," he explains, underscoring how each track crystallizes moments shared between him and Rourke. The record kicks off with the driving, hypnotic pulse of “Disconnected,” featuring Rourke’s signature melodic basslines, and wraps up with the percussive, big beat closer “Pass The Gun" - an album that moves fluidly between chiming, ethereal rock and deeper electronic undertones.

The album's title, Northern Gentleman, is Sandhu's nod to Rourke, a true northern gentleman himself. The songs on the album reflect not only their shared brotherhood and creativity, but also their determination to keep going in the face of the monumental challenges they faced, including Rourke’s illness and the global pandemic. The record’s backstory of struggle and perseverance only adds emotional weight, but as Sandhu points out, even without knowing their personal saga, listeners are taken on a musical ride that mixes swaggering rock riffs, playful escapism, and boundary-pushing electronic elements. It's classic yet forward-thinking, with each song packing its own narrative punch.

"For me, every song takes me back," says the singer. "Back to the studio drives, the conversations we had, and the vibe of those moments. It’s not just about the sadness of Andy’s passing - it’s about celebrating our friendship and what we built together." He recalls the surreal feeling of driving to the studio in LA, expecting Andy to be sitting in the passenger seat beside him, ready to dive into another session. "I can hear his voice in my head, replaying everything we talked about."

Much of Northern Gentleman was written during the pandemic, a time of both creative isolation and hard realities. Plans for U.S. tours had to be scrapped, forcing the band into a more introspective, studio-driven phase. "We locked ourselves away in the studio in LA. It was our happy zone," Sandhu recalls. Throughout those long months, the band dealt with the ebb and flow of Rourke’s illness, constantly adapting to the circumstances but never losing sight of their goal: to make music that mattered. Despite the hurdles, the sessions became a lifeline, offering solace and a creative outlet when the world around them was on pause.

Kav Sandhu is committed to fulfilling the promise he made to Rourke - to release and tour the album no matter what. While the future of Blitz Vega remains uncertain, Sandhu is clear on one thing: Northern Gentleman needs to be heard. “Andy was so excited for people to hear it,” he says, reflecting on how much the album meant to Rourke.