While recording his 2024 solo album, “Nephew,” Indianapolis musician Oreo Jones was thinking about his family.
The sudden death of his “Uncle Mike” while Jones was working in a Hollywood music studio meant missing the funeral.
“Over the last couple years, I’ve lost another uncle and my aunt — just some really close people who shaped me to be who I am,” he said. “Also, my sister gave birth to my nephew Baylor. So this record is just a culmination of celebrating family, as well as life, love and the pursuit of happiness.”
Slated for release on Sept. 20 via Church of Noise Records, an offshoot of Indy-based label Joyful Noise Recordings, “Nephew” was produced by Los Angeles-based Ben Lumsdaine, who’s also produced records for Bloomington bands Durand Jones and Wishy.
To celebrate the release of “Nephew,” Jones will play a free album release show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 at Radio Radio. Also performing that night are Accessory, Ko Newborn, Living Dream and DJ Rusty Redenbacher.
Jones has stayed plenty busy of late — most notably with the project 81355 (pronounced “bless”). It has been eight years since he released a solo hip-hop album. When asked what the reason was for this gap, Jones said it boils down to motivation.
“When I create something, I have to have my whole heart and soul in it,” he said. “There was a point before the pandemic where I was just like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I feel inspired to make a rap album.’ I was in this limbo where I was just like, ‘What am I doing? What’s my purpose as an artist?’”
Like so many, however, Jones found the COVID-19 pandemic to be a time of self-reflection and renewal, which led to the start of a “new chapter.”
“I got to step back and focus on myself and what was important to me,” he said. “That obviously spawned the 81355 project, but then I just started to fall in love with music again.”
Jones reached out to Lumsdaine, who he’d grown familiar with through his work with other Indiana artists. The two started out emailing ideas, and Jones eventually made his way out to Lumsdaine’ s studio in Hollywood.
“We would develop an arrangement, and then Sean would take it back with him (to his Los Angeles Airbnb) and write the verses,” Lumsdaine said. “Then, the next morning, we’d track the verses. So, for me, it was super sick because every morning Sean was bringing in amazing stuff that he was writing the night before.”
In addition to working with Lumsdaine as the project’s lead producer, Jones recruited several other artists with Indiana ties to make contributions to “Nephew,” including rapper Flacoisbored, composer and vocalist Hanna Benn, songwriters Jordan Victoria and Oliver Hopkins, and producers Harry Otaku and Matt Riefler.
As he prepares for his release show, Jones believes he’s entered a new era as an artist.
“My whole career as a musician, I’ve just been excited to collaborate with people and learn,” Jones said. “It’s been a blessing to keep on creating, while having the opportunity to evolve and see where it goes.”
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
