Durand Jones & the Indications are exciting soul revivalists, but the solo output of their members warrants equal excitement. Founding member Aaron Frazer gave us a strong solo project in 2021, and now Jones is gearing up for his first solo release.

Trailing his album Wait Til I Get Over, released in May ’23, ‘Lord Have Mercy’ is a soul stomper. Jones eschews the polish of the Indications’ more recent material with a propulsive, hard-edged arrangement, his voice full of throaty command.

The album explores Jones’ relationship to his hometown of Hillaryville, founded by eight freed slaves in the aftermath of the US Civil War. Despite once being touted as a idyllic place to live, Jones reflects on Hillaryville’s lack of opportunity. ‘Most people in my generation and younger dream of escaping a place like Hillaryville,’ he says. ‘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.’

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