Durand Jones & The Indications

Durand Jones had no intention of fronting a band, but through his output with the Indications, he’s become one of the most robust and distinctive voices among the soul revivalists of the 2010s and 2020s. In addition to a handful of singles, the singer/songwriter and his partners have recorded three albums, namely Durand Jones & the Indications (2016), American Love Call (2019), and Private Space (2021). On his own, Jones has assisted numerous groups in one-off fashion, either on the mike or as a saxophonist.
Raised by the Mississippi River in Louisiana, Jones started singing as a youngster, astounded a church of parishioners when he was called to perform in front of his choir, and had his life changed when his grandmother gave him an alto saxophone. After he graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Jones headed north to Bloomington, where he entered a postgraduate program at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He played in a saxophone quartet and ended up fronting the IU Soul Revue, which eventually placed him in the path of drummer/vocalist Aaron Frazer, guitarist Blake Rhein, bassist Kyle Houpt, and keyboardist Justin Hubler, who as a quartet were known as Charlie Patton's War. The five became Durand Jones & the Indications and began performing and recording, inspired by classic soul hits, deep rarities, and contemporary revivalists. Supported by the Colemine label, they debuted in 2015 with the 7″ single “Smile,” and in 2016 released their self-titled debut album. The band soon partnered with Secretly Canadian offshoot Dead Oceans, and over the next several years reissued Durand Jones & the Indications and released American Love Call and Private Space, their second and third LPs. During this time, Jones also contributed to an assortment of other recordings as either a saxophonist or co-writer and vocalist, including Stone Foundation’s “Hold on to Love” and the Bamboos’ “If Not Now (Then When).” ~ Andy Kellman