Check Out This Awesome David Bowie Cover by Durand Jones & the Indications
Durand Jones & the Indications aren’t looking backwards. Helmed by foil vocalists in Durand Jones and drummer Aaron Frazer, the Indications conjure the dynamism of Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, AND the Impressions. This young band of twenty-somethings are students of soul, including guitarist Blake Rhein, who moonlights doing research for The Numero Group. Even with that background, and an aesthetic steeped in the golden, strings-infused dreaminess of early ‘70s soul, the Indications are planted firmly in the present, with the urgency of this moment in time.
Recorded for $452.11, including a case of beer, the Indications’ 2016 self-titled debut was the product of five friends who met as students at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Having met in 2012, the project was initially intended as a standalone recording project, with vocalist Jones, a native of rural Louisiana, joined by Frazer, Rhein, bassist Kyle Houpt, and keyboardist Steve Okonski. The album was released by renowned Midwest soul label Colemine Records, and quickly picked up steam on the back of the band’s booming live show and the enthusiastic recommendation of independent record store clerks across the country — who moved thousands of copies by simply playing the hell out of the LP in their shops for their discerning customers. The album was given another boost in early 2018 when Dead Oceans teamed up with the band and Colemine to bring the Indications to global audiences.
Durand Jones & The Indications, who released their critically acclaimed second album, American Love Call, at the start of March last year on Dead Oceans / Colemine Records, have today shared their own unique take on David Bowie’s classic “Young Americans.”
Initially recorded for Howard Stern’s SiriusXFM radio show, the band have now decided to share the track with their fans. Featured on Bowie’s 1975 album of the same name, which saw him move away from the glam of earlier recordings towards a more soulful sound, Blake Rhein from The Indications said: “The entire Young Americans album is an incredible piece of soul music history with brilliant flares gospel, funk, and disco. The way Bowie is able to use these ingredients and apply them to his own brand of weird-o pop is just amazing.”
The track was recorded in August of 2017 at Russian Recording in Bloomington, Indiana after the Stern show reached out as they were putting together a compilation featuring various artists covering different Bowie songs. Having seen no one was covering “Young Americans”, the decision to record the track was relatively straight forward as the soul-stylings of the original perfectly suited Durand Jones & The Indications. The band were joined during recordings by Alonza Lawrence, Saren Oseitoto and GeDeane Graham on backing vocals, Ana Nelson on saxophone and Jesse Klirsfeld on trumpet.
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates
01/30/20 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
01/31/20 Austin, TX – Scott Inn
02/01/20 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
02/03/20 Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s *
02/04/20 Birmingham, AL – The WorkPlay Theatre
02/06/20 Gainesville, FL – High Dive * ^
02/07/20 Tampa, FL – Crowbar *
02/08/20 Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits
02/09/20 Charleston , SC – The Charleston Pour House
02/11/20 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
02/12/20 Virginia Beach, VA – Zeiders American Dream Theater
02/13/20 Alexandria, VA – Birchmere *
02/14/20 Pittsburgh, PA – Spirit Lounge *
02/15/20 Ithaca, NY – The Haunt
02/17/20 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl *
02/18/20 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl *
02/19/20 Pawtucket, RI – The Met
02/21/20 Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts
02/22/20 Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall +
02/23/20 South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground +
02/24/20 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
02/26/20 Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch
02/27/20 Bloomington, IN – +
02/28/20 St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall +
02/29/20 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck +
03/02/20 Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
03/03/20 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
03/05/20 Bentonville, AR – Meteor Guitar Gallery
03/07/20 Savannah, GA – Savannah Stopover Music Festival
05/01/20 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
05/24/20 Monterey , CA – California Roots Festival
* – w/ Y La Bamba
+ = w/ Kaïna
^ = The Savants of Soul
