For their newest album, Flowers, Durand Jones and The Indications went back to the days of recording to simple equipment while they were all college students at Indiana University, only this time it was just the three of them (Aaron Frazer – drums and vocals, Durand Jones – vocals, and Blake Rhein – guitar) recording in their guitarist’s Chicago studio crafted after multiple successful albums and world tours. The result is an album that lets them get their flowers, as the kids say, and enjoy and build upon their successes both as a band and with their own solo projects.
The lush, brief, titular intro track lets you know this is going to be a lovely time, and sure enough, the beats and bass (courtesy of Michael Montgomery) prove this on “Paradise” — in which Frazer sings about how he must be mad to keep pursuing an unresponsive lover, but he can’t help it. Jones has convinced his lover, at least, because “Lover’s Paradise” has them doing everything from traveling to Paris to catching a matinee.
Frazer and Jones both claim “I Need the Answer” to strife, war, and divisions on the next track. “Why’s it so hard to find the humanity when every man is more than just what you see?” Frazer asks, and Jones as “What will we leave for futures to see who we are?” We all want these answers. We need them. “Flower Moon” is so groovy that it practically warms up the bed for you.
We’re back to some heartbreak on “Really Wanna Be with You,” in which Jones sings about wishing he could be with someone who might’ve been the one, but the ship has sailed. “Been So Long” is about going back to your old stomping grounds and getting the scoop on everyone still there. “Everything” is about how a lover’s attention is all one needs. It’ll be on all of your bedroom mixes this year.
On “Rust and Steel,” Jones compares a crumbling relationship to a car that’s slowly breaking down, and then Frazer claims “A fancy car won’t get you far when you’re on your own” at the beginning of “If Not For Love,” which features a sharp saxophone solo from Mae Sun. The final track, “Without You,” is a plea for a lover to return after Jones realizes, too late, that he’s lost her thanks to his bad behavior.
Flowers is another solid album from DJI. They’ve yet to miss. Give them and this album all the flowers.
Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of DurandJones, AaronFrazer, and BlakeRhein — release “Lovers’ Holiday,” the third single/video from their forthcoming album, Flowers out June27th on DeadOceans. On the heels of last month’s “FlowerMoon,” hailed by Billboard as “one of their most irresistible dancefloor tracks yet,” “Lovers’ Holiday” is a fantasy getaway track fit for cruising and sees the band delighting in the softer side of soul and disco. Of the track, the band says: “We didn’t want to give ourselves any rules with ‘Lover’s Holiday.’ We wanted to make something authentic to our sound, while also giving our fans— the lovers— something to swoon about.”
Accordingly, the song’s video featuring videography by AndyWoodward and KimoKennedy and editing by RenaJohnson depicts The Indications performing on sea-side cliffs and by grass-covered mountains.
For as far as Durand Jones & The Indications have come, Flowers grew from the desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. As on that 2016 release, The Indications prioritized collaboration while creating Flowers. Much of the self-produced album was written together at Rhein’s Chicago studio, and many tracks are based on one-take demos — proof that vibes were particularly high, each member pulling from their refined tool kits with ease.
With Flowers, a strong sense of the band’s maturation and conviction is reflected across its 11 songs. “All of these songs touch on such mature topics, things that we never got to sing about before,” says Jones. “We are all in our 30s, have all been through ups and downs in our personal lives and professional lives, and flowers are a sign of maturity, growth, spring, productivity.” Frazer adds: “We took the spirit of play that started the project, and added in the wisdom and lessons we’ve acquired through the years.”
Following their recent triumphant European headline run which included shows supporting LennyKravitz, the band will kick off an expansive NorthAmericantour in September with some of their largest shows yet. Today, they announce their return overseas with a run of shows in the EU and UK in February2026, with stops in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and more. A full list of dates is available below, and tickets are available here.
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates (New Dates in Bold) Fri. July 4 – East Sussex, UK @ Love Supreme Jazz Festival Sun. July 6 – Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole Sun. July 6 – Werchter, BE @ Werchter Festival Park Wed. Sept. 10 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre * Thu. Sept. 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren * — SOLDOUT Fri. Sept. 12 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater * Sat. Sept. 13 – Abiquiú, NM @ Blossoms & Bones Mon. Sept. 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre * Tue. Sept. 16 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater * Thu. Sept. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse * Fri. Sept. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl * Sun. Sept. 21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Tue. Sept. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Fri. Sept. 26 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues * Sat. Sept. 27 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall * Tue. Sept. 30 – Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI Annex * Wed. Oct. 1 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed * Fri. Oct. 3 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre * Sat. Oct 4 – Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s * Sun. Oct. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot * Tue. Oct. 7 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * Fri. Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre * — SOLDOUT Sat. Oct. 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl * Thu. Oct. 23 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound * Fri. Oct. 24 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24 * Mon. Oct. 27 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * Tue. Oct. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * — SOLDOUT Wed. Oct. 29 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo * Fri. Oct. 31 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory * Sat. Nov. 1 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM * Mon. Nov 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue * Tue. Nov 4 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom * Wed. Nov 5 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall * Fri. Nov. 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall * Sat. Nov 8 – Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre * Sun. Nov. 9 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom * Tue. Nov 11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall * Wed. Nov. 12 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel * Fri. Nov. 14 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s * Sat. Nov. 15 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater * Sun. Nov. 16 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues * Tue. Feb. 10 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers Wed. Feb. 11 – Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall Thu. Feb. 12 – London, UK @ Roundhouse Sat. – Feb. 14, Paris FR @ Le Trianon Sun. Feb. 15 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique Tue. Feb. 17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Main Room
* = w/ The Psycodelics
Keep your mind open.
[I’ll feel like I’m on a lover’s holiday if you subscribe.]
Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of DurandJones, AaronFrazer, and BlakeRhein— announce a fall North American tour and release “FlowerMoon,” the second single/video from their forthcoming album, Flowers out June27th on DeadOceans. On the heels of a successful European headline run which included shows supporting LennyKravitz, the band’s expansive tour includes some of their largest shows yet, with stops in NewYork, Chicago, LosAngeles, Toronto, and more. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 25th at 10am local time. A full list of dates is below, with tickets and further information available here.
Following lead single “BeenSoLong,” praised by Rated R&B as a “petal-soft tune [that] rides with the smoothness of an early ’70s soul jam,” “Flower Moon” guides listeners to an end-of-night dancefloor with Frazer’s trademark falsetto on full display. Reflecting on the track, Jones says: “It felt right to release ‘Flower Moon’ with this record. Spring is here and the flowers are blooming everywhere. We really wanted to catch that essence of the song and bring it to life for the listener. Also the Flower Moon is happening in a few weeks, so everything just seemed aligned to bring this song to our fans. It’s a feel-good tune to enjoy with friends or a loved one.” The song’s accompanying video was directed by AlecBasse.
On Flowers, The Indications’ fourth album and first since 2021’s “disco and funk infused” (Billboard) PrivateSpace, the group leaned into a particular desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. Just as they did on that 2016 release, The Indications prioritized close-knit collaboration while creating Flowers. Much of the self-produced album was written together at Rhein’s Chicago home studio, and many tracks are based on one-take demos — proof that vibes were particularly high, each member pulling from their refined tool kits with ease.
Reflecting a strong sense of the band’s maturation and conviction, the 11 songs that make up Flowers are grown and sexy, fit for cruising, and delight in the softer side of soul and disco. “All of these songs touch on such mature topics, things that we never got to sing about before,” says Jones. “We are all in our 30s, have all been through ups and downs in our personal lives and professional lives, and flowers are a sign of maturity, growth, spring, productivity.” Frazer adds: “We took the spirit of play that started the project, and added in the wisdom and lessons we’ve acquired through the years.”
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates (New Dates in Bold) Fri. July 4 – East Sussex, UK @ Love Supreme Jazz Festival Sun. July 6 – Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole Sun. July 6 – Werchter, BE @ Werchter Festival Park Thu. Sept. 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren * Fri. Sept. 12 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater * Sat. Sept. 13 – Abiquiú, NM @ Blossoms & Bones Mon. Sept. 15 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre * Tue. Sept. 16 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater * Thu. Sept. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse * Fri. Sept. 19 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl * Sun. Sept. 21 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Tue. Sept. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * Fri. Sept. 26 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues * Sat. Sept. 27 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall * Tue. Sept. 30 – Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI Annex * Wed. Oct. 1 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed * Fri. Oct. 3 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre * Sat. Oct 4 – Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s * Sun. Oct. 5 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot * Tue. Oct. 7 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * Fri. Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre * Sat. Oct. 11 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl * Thu. Oct. 23 – Del Mar, CA @ The Sound * Fri. Oct. 24 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24 * Mon. Oct. 27 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * Tue. Oct. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom * Wed. Oct. 29 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo * Fri. Oct. 31 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory * Sat. Nov. 1 – Bozeman, MT @ The ELM * Mon. Nov 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue * Tue. Nov 4 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom * Wed. Nov 5 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall * Fri. Nov. 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall * Sat. Nov 8 – Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre * Sun. Nov. 9 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom * Tue. Nov 11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall * Wed. Nov. 12 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel * Fri. Nov. 14 – New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s * Sat. Nov. 15 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater * Sun. Nov. 16 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues *
Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of DurandJones, AaronFrazer, and BlakeRhein — return today with the announcement of their new album, Flowers (out June 27th on Dead Oceans), and the release of its lead single/video, “BeenSoLong.” For their fourth album and first since 2021’s “disco and funk infused” (Billboard) Private Space, The Indications leaned into a particular desire to return to their roots in a Bloomington basement, a space where they first found camaraderie in gritty funk and Southern soul that would inspire their self-titled debut. Just as they did on that 2016 release, The Indications prioritized close-knit collaboration while creatin Flowers. Much of the self-produced album was written together at Rhein’s Chicago home studio, and many tracks are based on one-take demos — proof that vibes were particularly high, each member pulling from their refined tool kits with ease.
Reflecting a strong sense of the band’s maturation and conviction, the 11 songs that make up Flowers are grown and sexy, fit for cruising, and delight in the softer side of soul and disco. “All of these songs touch on such mature topics, things that we never got to sing about before,” says Jones. “We are all in our 30s, have all been through ups and downs in our personal lives and professional lives, and flowers are a sign of maturity, growth, spring, productivity.” Frazer adds: “We took the spirit of play that started the project, and added in the wisdom and lessons we’ve acquired through the years.”
For Jones personally, Flowers is the result of significant personal transformation. “I had spent the last year and a half laying everything out that I felt insecure abou — I felt insecure about my sexuality, growing up poor; about a myriad of things. I laid all of that out on the table and it made me such a stronger person, to the point that I got back to the Indications and I was way more sure of myself.”
On lead single “Been So Long”, this renewed sense of camaraderie is front and center, as the Indications sing in unison: “It’s been so long/since we’ve been gone/it’s good to be back together.” It’s a song that contemplates the universal experience of returning to your hometown, alongside their experience of creating Flowers– a personal homecoming. Of the track, The Indications say: “‘Been So Long’ felt like a natural choice for the first single from the new album. Although it hasn’t been that long since we’ve been apart, it is the longest stretch the band hasn’t toured or released music in nearly a decade. The feeling of returning to your hometown is not unlike getting back together with your band mates after a spell. Some things have changed nearly beyond recognition, while others are exactly as you always remembered. In the video we are joined by Chicago musicians Wyatt Waddell and Michael Damani, two very gifted singers who lent their voices on the recording of ‘Been So Long’.”
Since forming in 2012, the road has taken The Indications from those origins at Indiana University, Bloomington to the global stage, selling out shows across Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to the West Coast— where DJI has a strong following among the lowrider and vintage soul enthusiasts. Next week, they will support LennyKravitz in arenas around Europe on his Blue Electric Light tour.
It has also seen the release of their three thoughtful, harmonic albums: Durand Jones & The Indications (2016), American Love Call (2019) and Private Space (2021). Pulling sonically and spiritually from each of the group’s previous releases and solo work, Flowers is the next stage of The Indications’ inspired soulful discography. They’re not only accepting their flowers, but indulging in their sweet and sexy fragrance.
“When I think of Flowers, I think of this sense of naturalness. There’s a lot of courage in showing the human side of making music,” adds Rhein. “We spent the most energy playing to each other’s strengths and learning how to support each other. Being able to make art from an intuitive level takes a lot of confidence, not second guessing yourself, not asking if it’s going to be well received.”
“We’re so blessed to have such a wide range of influence and musical minds that have such a good grip on the things that they love, and the ability to synthesize those influences and bring them to a group setting,” states Frazer. “So we’ll continue to do what we’re doing for many years to come.”
