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10 Questions with ... Marc Broussard
November 10, 2014
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1) Your new album -- A Life Worth Living -- seems very personal. What was the motivation behind this album?
I would absolutely agree that this is the most personal album to date. I was inspired to write this record after being freed from the strictures of my prior record deals. I took this opportunity to do some things I'd always wanted to do.
2) How do you capture inspiration when it comes to you? What's your songwriting process like?
The songwriting process is different for every song. Sometimes a melody or lyric will come to me out of the blue. Sometimes the music dictates the tone of what the lyric will be. The most important thing for me is to drop everything when that inspiration comes and make sure it gets documented in some way, usually with a voice memo app.
3) There are some beautiful songs about heartache on the album, including the title track, "A Life Worth Living" and "Give Em Hell." Can you tell us a bit about those songs and the inspiration?
The title cut, "A Life Worth Living," was written just a few hours after I left the hospital visiting my grandmother. I knew when I left that I would not see her alive again and my heart was broken. Her name was Mamie Ruth Deville and she was an amazing woman who raised an amazing family.
The opening line of "Give Em Hell" popped into my head literally moments after reading a text that a dear friend had passed. A sudden coronary dissection took him at age 41. It was devastating to all who knew him and he, being a high school English teacher, knew A LOT of people.
Both of these songs came to me as if they were already written. The most difficult thing about writing them was surrendering to the process. Every line was emotionally exhausting. So it wasn't so much about trying to be thoughtful as it was about allowing myself to read what was being imbued on my heart. You know that when you open yourself for the next line, you will be brought to your knees and that isn't an easy thing to do. Each line reinforces what you already know: that someone you love dearly is no longer just a phone call away.
4) What was the first album you fell in love with and why?
Brian McKnight's self-titled album featured a beautiful song called "One Last Cry." I heard it on the radio and used my allowance to buy the record. I poured over that record for years, just trying to sing like Brian, a man I still consider one of the best singers of my lifetime.
5) What album sums up your years as a teenager?
Brian McKnight's I Remember You (It was a long phase)
6) Who is currently in your playlist?
I've been digging hard on a group from Louisiana called Baby Bee. Also, there's a guy called Blake Mills that I only discovered recently who is knocking me out.
7) You are very involved in philanthropic work with United Way, Habitat for Humanity and the Entertain The Troops Tour in the Middle East. You were also a founding member of the Momentary Setback Fund to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita and have released an album Bootleg to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with all proceeds going to help rebuild your home state, Louisiana. How has that experience been? What is it currently like in Louisiana?
The philanthropy that I've been involved in previously was really just an outgrowth of how I was raised. I've always been taught that helping people is a duty and a privilege. My past work has informed me and moving forward I have a new venture that is going to do even more to help many more people than ever. I'm essentially launching a new foundation that will be tied to everything I do from now on.
As far as Louisiana today, we're doing quite well, with one major exception. Louisiana is currently losing land due to erosion at an alarming rate. Luckily, there is a concerted effort to stem the tide and raise awareness, and they are making great progress. Unfortunately, the only real solution, in my opinion, is removing the levees that locked the Mississippi River into its current path and allow that river to flood and deposit sediment across the Gulf South. It's not a real solution, of course, but this is why we are having problems now.
8) What advice do you have for new artists?
So much advice. I feel that part of my role on this planet is to help young artists find their voices and help navigate what is often a cutthroat business. Firstly, develop a fan base at home. If you're selling 1,000 tickets in your hometown, record labels will come out of the woodworks. Next, get a good lawyer. The best lawyer. And they are all in New York, LA or Nashville. I cannot stress this enough. Get the best lawyer money can buy. There's much more to cover like songwriting and creativity, in general, but that's for another time.
9) If you could spend the day with any artist/musician, who would it be and why?
There's a musician by the name of Dickie Landry that I love to hang with. Full disclosure: I already have hung with him -- many times. The story of his life would take a lifetime of conversations to unwrap. I plan on having many more hangs with Dickie in the near future.
10) What's on tap next for you?
I'll be on tour on the West Coast with The Southern Soul Assembly. This is a new project with some amazingly talented guys and our hope is that we'll be working together for many years. Good things are on the horizon, folks. Stay tuned.
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