Though the possibility of The Smiths reuniting is left out in the cold, bassist Andy Rourke and guitarist Johnny Marr have once again joined forces following a performance at Madison Square Garden playing “How Soon Is Now?” and “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
Now the more amiable half of The Smiths have recorded their first song together in 35 years: “Strong Forever,” a new track by Rourke’s group with former Happy Mondays guitarist Kav Blaggers, Blitz Vega. Marr is featured on guitar; the album was co-produced with DJ Z-Trip. Marr and Rourke, who have known each other since middle school, feel their friendship gets stronger as time passes – and this collaboration shows there is still magic in their creative forces.
“I wanted exactly what Johnny does,” says Rourke. “He has a very distinctive sound, and that’s what he did. We love what he brought to the track.”
While it’s more Happy Mondays-flavoured than Smiths in its sound (Blaggers is on vocals), Marr’s signature jangling guitar takes centre stage. It’s an expansive, feel-good anthem – a cheerful, welcome balm to the gloomy days of mid-November.
Listen below:
Rourke and Blaggers had been working on the track since before lockdown. “We were originally recording this song for a UN/U.K. football anti-discrimination/anti-bullying campaign,” Rourke says. “We approached a few people to guest on the track, and I asked Johnny, who very kindly recorded some guitars and sent them over.”
Follow Blitz Vega:
Darkwave trio Corlyx is a band that boldly colors outside the lines of traditional genre conventions, redefining the contours and…
They way they tore me apart Like I’m a corpse they wanna ditch They way they sold me for parts…
It is a quiet devastation, a weight that presses without end. The realization unfolds not in a sharp moment but…
In the history of new beat, there are few more memorable samples than "Germany calling." Taken from a Lord Haw-Haw…
Today, New York City's rising singer-songwriter Stella Rose drops her latest single and lyric video for HOLLYBABY, the title track…
Perfect hosts and room ghosts shout I don't care what they say They can fight it out I mean to…