Genres come and go and interest wanes but ever since Ray Charles pioneered the sound of soul we’ve had artists pushing the boundaries of what this music can do. If the 60’s and 70’s were the heyday of soul you could say with artists like The Black Pumas, Leon Bridges, Anderson .Paak, and Jon Batiste we have found ourselves in a bit of a Renaissance. Another artist firmly rooted in this now classic style is Durand Jones and The Indications. In the mid 2000’s artist like Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings did much to further refine the genre now referred to by some as Retro Soul or Post Modern Soul, a vintage take on the sounds that made R&B a household staple. Durand Jones along with drummer and singer Aaron Frazier and guitarist Blake Rhein formed the core of the band in 2012 and they’ve been recording and writing powerful and moving music ever since. They’ve been on a whirlwind tour since the release of their latest album Flowers that will take them to Europe in early 2026. Durand Jones and The Indications performed a sold out show in south Denver at The Gothic before another sell out at Washington’s in Fort Collins.

The Psycodelics are on for the entirety of the 42 date North American run. Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina they label themselves as “Modern American Black Music,” but in my humble opinion they are one of the purest funk bands touring today. Drawing from the likes of Larry Graham, Sly, Mandrill, and more they’ve taken a very classic funk sound and brought it into modernity. They got the attention of everyone with the punchy 80’sesque “Lucky MF” about finding true love. Additional highlights of the 45 minute set came in the form of a cavity-inducing “So Sweet’ and an unrecognizably funky version of Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” The Psycodelics got the crowd involved on their set closing jam “Lady Bug.” From lead singer and bassist Cameron “Caminator” Wescott’s velvet pants to the ridiculously tight rhythms coming from drummer Sean Bing, everything was on point with this band. Their set left an impression and I’m sure it’s doing nightly stints across the country currently with The Indications will net them numerous fans. They have a new record and some fresh steam in the tank. Go get funky with The Pscyodelics.

Colmine Records has done much to shine a spotlight on some of the best soul revival acts touring today including Kendra Morris, Wesley Bright and of course, Durand Jones and The Indications. The singing core of the band consists of dueling vocalists Durand Jones and Aaron Frazier. The Indications took the stage and began grooving on “Circles” as Mr. Jones took his time to find the mic stand. The packed house pushed in and sang along as they got the set going with a couple tracks off the new album, including “If Not for Love” and the the very honest “I Wanna Be With You.” The buttery “Reach Out” about being there for your girl and the now classic Frazier / Jones duet “Don’t You Know” were early highlights. Most of these are love songs so probably best to find some other descriptors moving forward.

The merch line finally died down, and by then most of the vinyl was sold out. Apparently the new records has not be available for the last several shows. Durand would occasionally walk off the stage giving Aaron the full spotlight. Frazier told a quick anecdote about laying down a scratch track with his now signature falsetto for “Is It Any Wonder?” When Durand heard the recording he said that’s it, keep it and the rest is history. That is the first time he ever recorded his vocals that way. He then proceeded to give us a rendition of the now storied song. Jones got his vamp on during “Without You” and “Flower Moon” was another banger from behind the drum kit. They wrapped up a fantastic set of music with their ode to the Chicano lowrider community “Crusin’ to the Park” and a massive dance party in the form of “Witchoo.” The encore was a 1 – 2 punch with the utterly soulful “Too Many Tears” into “Sea Gets Hotter.” This band never got to be young. From the start they worked around various gigs to create The Indications as a viable project. Now with 5 albums under their belts this is the jam. They are finally getting an opportunity to spread this amazing music far and wide. The engine is cranking now and I can’t wait to see what they do next, until then snag the new record, if you can find it.