Durand Jones – Lord Have Mercy

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Durand Jones released a new single called “Lord Have Mercy” from his upcoming solo album, “Wait Til I Get Over,” out May 5th on Dead Oceans. The official music video, directed by McCray Sutherlin & Will Niava, seamlessly blends vibrant colours with cinematic black-and-white footage of Hillaryville, Louisiana. This juxtaposition of visuals of a small hometown established as a form of reparations to previously enslaved Black Americans effectively portrays the emotional and intense essence of the short film rooted in Jone’s Music.

“The interlude ends with my Grandmother telling us how she felt about Hillaryville back in the day. Hillaryville is no longer a sanctuary town or ‘place you’d most want to live’—most people in my generation and younger dream of escaping a place like Hillaryville.

And for many, the dream never becomes something more. Life can find a way to keep you there if you let it. I wanted to express this thought through sound in a raw, wild and raucous way. A build of a groove that feels like it is driving through a muddy swamp. Trapped.”

A homage to the rural south, it is also a ‘letter to my 17-year-old self.’ I almost called it that. I wanted to make a record that, that nerdy 17-year-old dude would love. When I was 17, I was into classical music, jazz, rock and roll, R&B, hip hop and gospel. So I included all these things in this record— through my mind and voice. It is a declaration and a reminder: you don’t have to stick to the dreams people have for you. You can dream bigger. You are more than capable; you are more than able. I think about some nerdy punk kid in the rural south who needs to hear that now ~ @durandjonesofficial Instagram

Background: Durand Jones & The Indications is an American contemporary R&B and soul group founded by the core songwriting trio of singer Durand Jones, singer/drummer Aaron Frazer, and guitarist Blake Rhein. Formed in 2012, the band became part of the soul revivalist movement when they reissued their debut album in 2018. Their second album American Love Call was released in March 2019, followed by Private Space in July 2021.

Socials: Instagram