Kurt Vile has posted a lengthy, heartfelt tribute to the late Rob Laakso, who was a longtime member of Vile’s backing band The Violators as well as shoegaze group the Swirlies. In an Instagram post, Vile praised Laakso as a “musical genius” and credited the multi-instrumentalist for a “shift to epic proportions” after he joined the Violators full-time with 2013’s Wakin on a Pretty Daze.
“This one’s been hard to get out of the fog in my brain and into words for a long time now (and I mean for the last year or so, not just since rob’s passing),” Vile wrote. “Tributes are never easy but this one is just too close to the bone I guess. Thank you to everyone who reached out. It’s been beautiful seeing all the nice things written about Rob, because yeah he was quiet but there was so much to
him. Musical genius. Recording whizz.”
Vile continued by remembering Laakso as a husband and father and described how he would stay in touch with family over FaceTime during recording sessions. Sending love to Laakso’s wife, Mamie-Claire, Vile recalled how their son Gus would often ask to talk to “Mr. Kurt.”
After sharing that he and Laakso worked especially closely on his albums b’lieve i’m goin down… and Bottle It In, Vile proceeded to describe the immediate impact Laakso made on Wakin on a Pretty Daze. “Wakin was his first full time violator record and you can see the shift to epic proportions from [Smoke Ring for My Halo] to it. I’ve clocked in so many hours on the road and in front of amps with him but so have the violators Jesse first and Kyle later.”
In particular, Vile praised Laakso’s dedication to recording and touring together. “I often see the image in my mind of Rob shaking his hand in pain after playing the same two bass notes while I sang and played lead gtr on skinny mini for over 10 minutes (but every note from Rob solid as hell, what ya need),” he wrote. “That was right after coming off a tour of the sea lice with Courtney where Rob was the glue (you were often the glue, brother).”
The tribute also includes stories about Laakso’s “true initiation” into the Violators and some of the last few times they recorded together. Read the full message in the Instagram post below.
Laakso is survived by his wife, Mamie-Claire, and their two children, Gus and Lou. A GoFundMe page has been launched on the family’s behalf.