A Night Out with… Durand Jones & The Indications

Paris. Saturday night. Valentine’s Day. This was the perfect occasion to, together with my girlfriend, see Durand Jones & The Indications performing soulful tunes of love and romance on the band’s 2026 European tour. Promoting their 2025 album Flowers, coming in at #18 on this author’s 2025 albums of the year list, this was one of my most highly anticipated gigs of the year. It did not disappoint. By the end of the night Le Trianon, a delightful mid-sized venue in Paris’ 18th arrondissement at the foot of the hill of Montmartre, was literally trembling.

Durand Jones leading the band in his suave red corduroy suit.

Supporting the Indiana-based soul revivalists was the London outfit MRCY (both bands are signed to the label Dead Oceans). Lead singer Kojo Degraft-Johnson did a very good job to get the crowd going with some singalong moments and a fun stage presence. And the quality of their music did not do any harm either, showcasing smooth RnB/soul music with standout tracks like “Powerless” and “Man”. The audience showered them with applause as the four-piece left the stage – definitely a group to keep an eye on in the years to come.

If the way the Paris crowd responded to MRCY was anything to go by, it was going to be a lively night for Durand Jones & The Indications. Indeed, it only took a few of their songs, after they came out on stage to Ennio Morricone’s film score “The Surrender (La Resa)”, for drummer/singer Aaron Frazer to declare that anytime the band performs in Paris ‘feels like a hometown gig’. Thunderous applause followed every song, Durand Jones and his band were clearly enjoying themselves.

Frontman Durand Jones and drummer/singer Aaron Frazer - arguably the star of the show.

After starting off their set with some of their older tunes, the band played material from last year’s Flowers, such as “Lovers’ Holiday”, “Flower Moon” and “Really Wanna Be With You”. For “If Not For Love” Durand Jones got the crowd involved singing the backing vocals on the chorus (‘So you better wise up (wise up), Cause our love (our love), Is all that (all that), We got (we got)’). Jones, sporting a suave red corduroy suit, exhibited all his character and charisma as he sang and danced on stage. Arguably the star of the show, however, was Aaron Frazer whose easy-on-the-ears falsetto is a constant boon for the show. At their best, Jones and Frazer harmonise seamlessly, and it speaks to Jones’ generosity as a frontman that he’s just as comfortable stepping back to let Frazer’s falsetto soar as he is working the crowd himself. Their chemistry was palpable and complemented perfectly by the band’s tight instrumentation – special shoutout to the saxophone and trumpet players who seized their moment in the spotlight and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The crowd went wild as saxophonist and trumpeter played a solo.

It was impressive how easily the Indiana outfit’s sweet music translated to the live format, at once eminently danceable and perfect to just enjoy all the instrumental layers. The band weaved comfortably from slower tunes like “Is It Any Wonder?”, “Flower Moon” or new single “Let’s Take Our Time” to more upbeat tracks like “If Not For Love” and “Witchoo”, the latter closing the show’s encore in style as it had the entire floor bouncing in unison.

Durand Jones & The Indications closing the show with 2021 hit “Witchoo”.

Under the watchful eye of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica my girlfriend and I wandered back out into the cold streets of the city of love. This Valentine’s Day, Paris certainly lived up to that name, thanks in no small part to Durand Jones & The Indications as they played their hometown show away from home.