Durand Jones & The Indications — the trio of Durand Jones, Aaron Frazer, and Blake Rhein — return today with the announcement of their new album, Flowers (out June 27th on Dead Oceans), and the release of its lead single/video, “Been So Long.” For their fourth album and first since 2021’s 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 about — 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’.”
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates
Mon. March 24 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome*
Wed. March 26 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis*
Thu. March 27 – Paris, FR @ Zingaro
Sat. March 29 – Zürich, Switzerland, CH @ Mascotte
Mon. March. 31 – Bologna, IT @ Unipol Arena*
Tue. April 1 – Milan, IT @ Unipol Forum*
Thu. April 4 – Marseille, FR @ Le Dôme De Marseille*
Fri. April 4 – Nice, FR @ Palais Nikaia*
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
* supporting Lenny Kravitz
- Fire Track: Bnny (ft. Wild Pink) – “Good Stuff (Edit)” - March 21, 2025
- Durand Jones & The Indications – “Been So Long” [Video] - March 20, 2025
- Alan Sparhawk – “Stranger” [Video] - March 19, 2025