Durand Jones & the Indications' Soulful “Long Way Home”
Photo Credit: Rosie Cohe
Durand Jones & the Indications are bringing soul back to the forefront of jazz for a younger generation, and we can’t thank them enough.
With their new single “Long Way Home,” the Indications treat listeners to an outwardly light song that hops cheerfully around the ears. The lyrics are more serious, discussing a path that’s forced upon the protagonist which he must embrace. Sung by Durand Jones whose voice has an ideal combination of rasp and body, the track could have come straight from the height of the soul movement. The music is jaunty and happy-go-lucky, but when examining the lyrics closer, the song actually discusses making the best out of an unfortunate situation.
The dichotomy of music versus meaning swims through the band’s newly released sophomore album, American Love Call. “Long Way Home” encapsulates the theme of trying to balance the conflicting emotions of anger and resentment toward modern— and past— American society while still allowing the love of home to shine through. Throughout the track, Jones sings, “I ain’t chose the path I roam, and it’s a long way home” repeatedly. As he describes, the song began as a journal entry of “a reflection on (his) experience with the justice system in America.” It then became a discussion between Jones and drummer Aaron Frazer, morphing into a camouflaged song relating to the journey of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
The Indications started as a group of college friends who thought they’d only make a one-off recording. The project consisted of Jones and Frazer, guitarist Blake Rhein, bassist Kyle Houpt, and keyboardist Steve Okonski. The five met while going to college at Indiana University and joined together, not intending for their debut album— recorded for just $452.11— to become as popular as it did. The band credits mom-and-pop record stores as a significant part of their success. Without those stores’ enthusiasm, the band might not be where they are today. For a band who leans so heavily on old school soul and R&B, it’s only fitting that part of their success can be traced through word-of-mouth within the supposedly dying industry of record stores.
American Love Call was released on March 1st, and has already been praised for its smooth polish, thematically and sonically. “Long Way Home” acts as not only a single, but an anchor that tethers the rest of the songs, branching ideas to a single place. To promote the album and track, Durand Jones & the Indications will be touring the U.S. all through the spring. See below for their upcoming tour dates, including a June run with Rebelution.
Tour Dates:
Mon. March 18 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Tue. March 19 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Thu. March 21 - Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroots
Fri. March 22 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom — SOLD OUT
Sat. March 23 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah — SOLD OUT
Mon. March 25 - Tustin, CA @ Marty’s On Newport — SOLD OUT
Tue. March 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom — SOLD OUT
Wed. March 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom — SOLD OUT
Thu. March 28 - Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Restaurant & Music Club — SOLD OUT
Fri. March 29 - Oakland, CA @ The New Parish — SOLD OUT
Sat. March 30 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent — SOLD OUT
Mon. April 1 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Tue. April 2 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Thu. April 4 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
Fri. April 5 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Sat. April 6 - Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
Sun. April 7 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Tue. April 9 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. April 10 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Thu. April 11 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Fri. April 12 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
Sat. April 13 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Sun. April 14 - North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival
Tue. April 16 - Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
Wed. April 17 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Fri. April 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Sat. April 20 - Uncasville, CT @ Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Resort
Sun. April 21 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Mon. April 22 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Wed. April 24 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theater
Fri. April 26 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
Sat. April 27 - Oxford, MS @ Double Decker Arts Festival
Sun. April 28 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Sat. May 11 - Bloomington, IN @ Indiana University *
Fri. June 14 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Pepsi Amphitheater ^
Sat. June 15 - Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheater ^
Sun. June 16 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
Mon. June 17 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
Wed. June 19 - Fresno, CA @ Woodward Park Amphitheater ^
Thu. June 20 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ Avila Beach Golf Resort ^
Fri. June 21 - Sacramento, CA @ Papa Murphy’s Park (Bonney Field) ^
Sat. June 22 - Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley ^
Sun. June 23 - Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater ^
Thu. June 27 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Garden - Outlaw Field ^
Fri. June 28 - Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater ^
Sat. June 29 - Redmond, WA @ King’s County Marymoor Park ^
Sun. June 30 - Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater ^
^ with Rebelution
* with Neko Case
