Today, Indiana-based band Durand Jones & The Indications releases a new covers 7-inch with takes on Penny & The Quarters’ “You And Me” and “Put A Smile On Your Face” by EJ & The Echoes. The Indications shared the sweet, soulful audio earlier this morning via a Billboard Q&A premiere, which can be found here.
“We’ve gotten a lot of support from the community of record collectors, specifically 45 collectors. The two songs we covered, not unlike our debut record, were originally recorded in basements, utilizing crude equipment and non-existent budgets,” guitarist Blake Rhein says. “We actually recorded our versions in an electric piano repair shop. Both ‘You and Me’ and ‘Put A Smile on Your Face’ are truly remarkable songs that have languished on the peripheral of obscurity (although the former has gotten a fair amount of recognition in recent years due to the work of the folks at the Numero Group). It is an honor to share these amazing songs with our fans and help preserve the legacy of these soul artist who give us so much inspiration.”
Vocalist Durand Jones explains, “‘Put a Smile on Your Face’ was shown to me by a DJ out of Detroit called SoulHawk. Once I heard it, I latched onto it. I loved the positive message in a melancholy vibe. I started to just sing this song when I would be down and out. It would get me through hard times.”
Inspired by a handful of dusty and obscure 45s bearing names like The Ethics, Brothers of Soul, and The Icemen, The Indications set out to make a sound steeped in heavy drums, blown-out vocals, and deep grooves. Gathered around a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and a case of Miller High-Life, the group spent their Sunday evenings recording into the early hours of the morning.
The recent covers 7-inch comes on the heels of a major headlining North American tour and in the midst of a European tour for Durand Jones & The Indications, who put out their deluxe self-titled debut via Dead Oceans last March. This summer the band will play sets at a number of festivals including Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and just announced sets for Austin City Limits Music Festival this fall.
Durand Jones & The Indications Tour Dates:
Fri., May 11 – Brussels, Belgium @ AB Club
Sat., May 12 – Paris, FR @ Les Etoiles
Mon., May 14 – Glasgow, Scotland @ Stereo
Tue., May 15 – Manchester, UK @ Gullivers
Wed., May 16 – London, UK @ The Waiting Room
Thu., May 17 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
Sun., May 27 – Napa, CA @ BottleRock Music Festival
Thu., June 6 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
Sat., June 16 – Kansas City, MO @ Boulevardia
Sat., July 28 – Montauk, NY @ Surf Lodge
Sun., Aug. 5 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
Sun., Aug. 12 – Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
Sat. Sep. 8 – St. Louis, MO @ LouFest
Sun., Sep. 9 – Chattanooga, TN @ Moon River Music Festival
Fri., Oct. 5 – Sun, Oct. 7 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
Fri., Oct. 12 – Sun. Oct. 14 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
Fri., Oct. 19 – Sun., Oct. 21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Lost Lake Music Festival