Bred in the center of Mississippi with “southern hearts still pumping blood,” as one of its songs put it, indie rock band The Weeks takes its sound far from the South while keeping the Magnolia state in its veins. 

As the band began, The Weeks’s members — in their early teens — channeled pain, loss and suffering to craft their music and displayed a rich sound characteristic of southern musicians. 

“Rolling Stone” writer Kate Breimann said the band’s early music displays an unabashed picture of the trials of Southern teenagers.

 “Soulful country-rockers The Weeks demonstrated how much five kids between the ages of 14 and 16 knew about pain, death, love, loss and the trials of life in the deep South when they first got together in 2006,” she said.  

The band gained a strong local following in its hometown of Jackson, Miss., in the late 2000s. 

Damien Bone, bassist for The Weeks, said the band’s initial influences included mostly local music. 

“Going to shows in Jackson and seeing local bands got us interested in playing music,” he said. “We wanted to play in a band in shows just like the others.” 

The Weeks’s music is rich with Mississippi roots. The band laces its lyrics with a southern lexicon that Bone said shaped the band as it grew. 

“Mississippi has an effect on our music. Like anywhere else, wherever you live and grow up will affect what you do,” he said. “But for Mississippi, it must be something in the water I guess.”

As the years passed and the band’s momentum began to build, the members moved to the music capital of the South — Nashville, Tenn. 

Ultimately, The Weeks found its way into a record deal with Kings of Leon’s own record label, Serpents and Snakes. 

Bone said an artist and relations representative for Serpents and Snakes came to watch The Weeks perform, approached the band afterward and The Weeks signed with label shortly thereafter. 

“We were playing a show at Mercy Lounge, and our manager had asked Seth Riddle from Serpents and Snakes to come to the show,” he said. “He came to check us out, and we set up a meeting with him afterwards to get signed.” 

Soon after, the band joined Kings of Leon’s European tour lineup. 

Bone said the experience was eye-opening for the band both musically and culturally. 

 “The tour went really well. We had never performed at a show of that scale,” Bone said. “It was a really great opportunity. The best part was that a lot of the venues were very iconic. Most of the ones in Germany were designed for Hitler, which took us back a little. We had never experienced anything like that before.”

The Weeks is known for its iconic, grungy style. Chris Cajoleas, founder and head of Lost Legend Entertainment, grew up with the band members and said their recognizable style helps the band stick out in the increasingly crowded music business. 

“Well, the most obvious thing would be the twins — and then the hair and the fact that they always look cool and important or legendary,” he said. “We used to talk about how people would always tell them they have ‘rapper swag.’” 

The Weeks always keep the audience engaged at its shows, as Cajoleas said the band keeps its attendees on their feet with unexpected antics.

“All of them are entertainers and manage to play exceptionally well while doing so. Their shows are definitely a big party,” he said. “Whether it be shots on stage or massive sing-a-longs, it is hard to stand still with your arms crossed at a (The) Weeks show.” 

The band plays at Rick’s Café Friday at 9 p.m. 

Bone said he and the band members are excited about the show because of the venue and the band’s opening acts. 

“Rick’s surprises us each time. The workers are great, and the audience always brings it,” he said. “So get there early and come see (openers) Hey Rocco and Jr Astronomers.”