Think of Marc Broussard as his own harshest teacher. The powerful vocals for which he has won accolades aren’t something that develops overnight. Instead, Broussard spends hours working on the lyrics of songs to ensure his vocalizations are as close to perfection as possible as evidenced by the richly textured songs on his self-titled album.
“I try to get as much distance from the original song as possible,” said Broussard. “When I am home. … I’ll go over them again and again and really think about them. It takes time to internalize the lyrics.”
| Onstage |
| Marc Broussard |
| When: 8 p.m. Friday |
| Where: 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW |
| Info: $25; 9:30.com; 800-955-5566 |
Perhaps it’s not surprising that Broussard, who counts Prince among his most revered musical idols, uses such old-school tactics to ensure his own styling is perfect. Broussard’s signature soul and blues developed from the musical basics he learned from his father, renowned guitarist Ted Broussard.
From there, Broussard became a student of music, studying not only the masters but his own offerings to ensure they are continually richer. His system brings past musical greats such as Frank Sinatra to mind.
“The show right now is better than it has ever been,” he said, noting that for the first time in his career he’s following a set list. “I record every show and listen back to them.”
Recently, Broussard enlisted his band mates in critiquing the show. The result, he said, is a tighter concert that allows him to move from his own work to covers of such artists as James Brown and back.
“We cleaned it up a whole lot,” said Broussard. “It’s a really fun show … and the energy is really through the roof.”
But don’t think a “clean” show means it’s devoid of emotion. One listen to Broussard’s music, for which he gives extensive credit to his creative partner Jamie Kenney, dispels that notion. Much like his show, Broussard’s music can go from the lowest lows to the all-out, no-holds-barred Louisiana sound in which he is rooted.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Jamie on this record, not only in the production but in the writing,” Broussard says. “He definitely pushed me to find what I really wanted to say to people as well as to pull me out of my comfort zone as a singer. He encouraged me to do things I wouldn’t normally do, which turned out so well. The things he pushed me to do are what made this record what it is.”
