← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Marc Broussard: Soul Rockers, Growing Up in Louisiana's Music Scene, and Finding Your Authentic Voice-Rock and Roll Stories.
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- [00:00]
Mark Broussard
This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human. On June 11, 1998, a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing. Hey, if they'll kill a cop and.
- [00:12]
Buzz Knight
Bury him, what are they gonna do to me?
- [00:14]
Mark Broussard
What really happened to the missing deputy? Valley of Shadows, a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert. Listen to Valley of shadows on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why pay when you can slash TikTok, slash and free lets you cut prices all the way to zero. Download TikTok, search/free and share the link to get free items. Start slashing now. Taking a walk. We just not play the song. I refuse to play the song. In fact, one of my favorite memories is we had morning television in New York City, national tv. We're gonna play two songs. We're gonna play home and where you are. We play home first, and my entire record label is there. My managers are there. We play home. Go to commercial break. Come back from commercial break. And the anchor says, and once again, here's Mark Broussard with where you are. And I turn to the band as she's saying that and said, play Rocksteady. And they're like, what? I said, play Rocksteady. And as soon as we hit the downbeat on Rocksteady, I can see all of my label executives and my managers through the glass in the studio, and they just start leaving. Welcome to another episode of Taking a Walk, the podcast where Buzz Knight talks about the lives and careers of some of the most fascinating figures in music and gets the inside scoop directly from the artists themselves. Today, we're lacing up our shoes from Musical Journey with the soulful and talented Mark Broussard. Mark is known for his distinctive bayou soul sound. He's been captivating audiences with his powerful voice and blend of funk, blues, R and B, and rock for over two decades. Hailing from the great state of Louisiana, Broussard's music is deeply rooted in the rich cultural tapestry of the American South. Let's join Buzz on Taking a Walk with Mark Broussard.
- [02:22]
Buzz Knight
Mark, thanks for being on Taking a Walk. And since this podcast is called Taking a Walk, who would you like to take a walk with, living or dead? And where would you take a walk with them? Someone from the music side of things, of course, because you are a musician.
- [02:40]
Mark Broussard
Probably Johann Bach, and I would take a walk with him in Lucerne, Switzerland. There's a beautiful old bridge in Switzerland that. That I absolutely love and Bach, you know, I mean, the guy is. None of us would be here without him. You know, in the modern era, it's Stevie Wonder. But in. In the history of music, I think that Johann Bach takes the cake.
- [03:09]
Buzz Knight
Well, first of all, I know that bridge in Lucerne was just there recently, and that is spectacular.
- [03:15]
Mark Broussard
Yes, beautiful.
- [03:16]
Buzz Knight
And the funny thing I have to share with you is I had a couple of brothers on this podcast from this band called Red Cross. Two Ds and spelled with a K. The McDonald brothers. There's a new documentary out about them called Born Innocent, and they're punk rockers for about 40 years. And I asked the same question, and the older brother, he led. Exactly. With your answer. Johann Sebastian Bach.
- [03:50]
Mark Broussard
Yeah. I mean, the guy has done it all. Every time I think I'm being creative or innovative, somebody points out that Johann Bak did it already there.
- [04:00]
Buzz Knight
We got tripped up a little bit in talking to those guys, and then maybe we thought we were talking about Sebastian Bach from Skid Row or something like that. So it really went down a severe rabbit hole. But anyway, great answer, and I'd like.
- [04:15]
Mark Broussard
To be tagging along with you if I could, man. You know, taking a walk and chatting music with Johan Bach would be an absolute dream. It really would. Especially in Lucerne. I love that place. Switzerland. You know, you don't hear too much about Switzerland, but I've spent a significant amount of time there. I did some touring. I did two tours. There's a car company out of Spain called seat, spelled like seat, and they threw a bunch of money at this tour. So this guy, Phil Dockner, who's kind of an md, you know, piano player and. And music, Musical director, he put together these tours for Seat, and we. I did like 15 cities in Switzerland, which. I don't know if you know this, but Switzerland is not a very big country. And. And so I got to spend a couple of months there in the two tours that I did with Phil. And it's really one of the most beautiful places ever, especially Lucerne. Lake Lucerne, I think it's something like 800ft deep, and it's crystal clear. It's a gorgeous. And the city is kind of built right around. Right around the lake, you know, so I've enjoyed my time there, and I. I definitely would take a. With old Johan Bach across the. Old.
- [05:45]
Buzz Knight
Old Johan, as we call him.
- [05:47]
Mark Broussard
The old pal. Yeah.
- [05:51]
Buzz Knight
So if somebody never heard of the term bayou soul, how would you describe this to them?
- [05:58]
Mark Broussard
Man, it's really just. It's a term that some journalist 20 years ago, coined for. For what it sounds like to listen to me. And I think it's a fairly apt description if we're just, you know, going by the term. Bayou Soul is soul that originates in the bayou. It's, It's. It's a little bit swampier than you. You might hear in modern R and B. It's got a little more groove than you might hear from people with a similar pigmentation that I. That I have. It's just down home, Southern soul music.
- [06:46]
Buzz Knight
And the way you play it, it just flows so naturally and so beautifully. Do you get in a zone equivalent to the zone that an athlete gets in when you're playing your music?
- [07:02]
Mark Broussard
Man, I. I really do. In fact, when I try to get cerebral on stage, it's a real problem. I. I worked years ago with a. A group of guys, we called ourselves the Southern Soul Assembly. It was myself, J.J. gray, Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi All Stars, and one of my dearest and most favorite artists in the world, a guy named Anders Osborne. And I noticed that Anders would sing certain songs just the tiniest bit differently every night. He would emphasize different words every night. So I asked him, I said, oh, yeah, so I've got my. My iPad up there with the lyrics, and as I'm singing, I'm looking ahead at the lyrics, and I think to myself, oh, I'm gonna pick out that word to emphasize tonight. And I mean, he's brilliant. He's a really brilliant guy. Well, I tried doing the same thing without the teleprompter one time, actually, a couple of times, and it was a massive mistake because I would get to that line or that word, and my mind would go completely blank. So I really kind of have to just give myself over to the process and give myself over to. To the moment. Because if I try to get cerebral at all, it. It really becomes a problem. And I've had to, you know, apologize to the audience, say, I'm so sorry. I just spaced on that lyric. It's something that I've been doing. I'm 42 now. I started playing with my father on stage when I was five and a half. I feel like I developed love of performing before I ever knew what social anxiety was. And it's. It's definitely a place that I feel most at home. And when I'm on stage, I feel most at home.
- [09:05]
Buzz Knight
So talk about further the influence that your father had on you and. And the fondest, earliest memory that really shaped you with him playing music.
- [09:16]
Mark Broussard
Yeah. So I was five and a half. We. My dad would book a gig in, in Destin, Florida every year to help offset the cost of, of taking his family on vacation. And so right before we left for that vacation, Back to the Future came on tv. And if, if you ever seen the movie, you see Marty McFly comes out at the, at his parents school dance and he plays Johnny B. Good on this beautiful red ES335. A Gibson ES335. Well, my father actually had that same guitar. His father bought it for him in 1967. And I, for whatever reason, I just kind of gravitated towards that hook and I, I kept repeating it over and over again. Johnny, be good. Johnny be good. So my dad says, mark, do you want to learn that song? I said yeah. And he comes home the next day with the lyrics printed out because he didn't know all the lyrics. Was it all on an old dot matrix printer? This is a 1987. He taught me the lyrics. I couldn't read at the time, but within a few rounds I had memorized the words and he starts playing and I start singing in key and we play it all the way down and he was impressed. And then he said, all right, let's try it again. And I vividly remember this. He says, let's try it again. And he starts playing, I start singing in key. And the second verse he modulates up a half step and I follow him. Third verse he modulates up another half step and I follow him. And that's really what told him that, that, that I had some gifts. And so we went to Florida that weekend for our family vacation and he brought me along for the gig. That was the first of great many times where he brought me along for the gig. Around 1991 he joined a band called the Boogie Kings. The Boogie Kings is kind of a party band around here. Guys dress up in tuxedos and white tails and it's a big horn band. They play what's known around here colloquially as, as Blue Eyed Soul. It's white guys singing Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye and Wilson Pickett and the like. And I would go on as many of those gigs as I was allowed to playing sort of semi roadie where I'd carry some of his gear and, and then I would just kind of hang side stage until it was my turn to get up and go sing Johnny Be Goode. But he really fancies himself as a jazz player. He's a very, very talented guitar player. And you know, growing up in the house, most of the music that he listened to was instrumental jazz music. And as a budding young singer, that was kind of torture, to be quite honest with you. So it was on the occasion that he had to learn some new Otis Redding song that he would put on, that he would put on an LP of Otis. And I'd come running out of the back and say, dad, who's this? You know, I'll never forget when he put on James Taylor, I guess he was in a pensive mood and decided to put on Never Die Young. And that really launched, launched me into songwriting. I was like, dad, I need you to show me how to play this song right here. And I, I kind of used those changes, reincorporated those changes from Never Die Young into a song of mine that I've been playing almost every night for the last 20 plus years. Song called the Wanderer. Having such a sophisticated musician in the house, I think definitely set me up for success. You know, most of the musicians that are from around here, from South Louisiana are playing zydeco and Cajun music. So being exposed to steely, you know, Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield definitely gave me a nice launch pad.
- [13:35]
Buzz Knight
Was he protective with you as far as you touching at an early age, his guitars?
- [13:42]
Mark Broussard
Oh, yes, yes, and rightfully so. In fact, the, one of the first times that I ever got to take one of his guitars was probably about 14 years old. I said, dad, I'm going to a bonfire. Do you mind if I bring, bring the guitar? And he reluctantly okayed it. And I ended up, I ended up letting a buddy of mine play the guitar that night as well. And when, when my buddy put the guitar back into the case, he didn't realize that the, the plastic part of the strap was kind of sticking straight up when he closed the case. And it knocked just the tiniest piece right out of the sound hole. So, yeah, I was banned. I was banned from his guitars for a long time before and after that. Luckily, I've been able to replace that guitar. I, I signed a deal with Yamaha a few years ago and ended up getting him a, a new guitar that, that he absolutely loves. But yeah, he was very, very protective over his guitars, mostly because, you know, my dad's not a wealthy man. He was a civil servant for 35 years. He, he really worked hard to earn the money that, that he spent on those guitars. And he cherished every single one of his guitars. Which is why I was blown away completely when at my 30th birthday celebration at the House of Blues in New Orleans. He gifted me the red ES335 that his father had bought for him in 1967. I, I was completely stunned. And it's actually still at my dad's house.
- [15:24]
Buzz Knight
I'm glad that the ice got broken in the relationship eventually.
- [15:29]
Mark Broussard
Yeah, no doubt. Yeah.
- [15:31]
Buzz Knight
Tell me about the hometown that you grew up in.
- [15:35]
Mark Broussard
Man, it's a pretty quaint town. You know, I grew up right here, actually. I still live on the street that I grew up on. My parents live about 150 yards across the street from me. And what's the name of the town?
- [15:50]
Buzz Knight
I'm sorry?
- [15:51]
Mark Broussard
It's called, it's called Karen Crow, L.A. crow?
- [15:54]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. Name of your album.
- [15:55]
Mark Broussard
That's right. It's just a little bedroom community to the north of Lafayette, Louisiana. So when I was growing up, it was pretty small. It was probably two to three thousand people when I was growing up. It's since grown up quite a bit. I think there are probably closer to about 10,000 people, maybe 15,000 people here. I haven't looked at the numbers recently, but the traffic feels like it's way heavier than when I was a kid. We rode our bikes a lot. You know, it's a very typical Gen X story. We rode our bikes everywhere. We got into a lot of trouble. We played a lot of basketball on driveways and played a whole lot of football in the fields. It, it's a pretty typical idyllic community, and I'm very, very happy that I was able to raise my kids here as well.
- [16:46]
Buzz Knight
Everybody probably knows everybody's name, right?
- [16:49]
Mark Broussard
Oh, yeah. Especially when I was growing up, man, it was, it was such a small town, you know, I, I, My first job was at the store right at the corner at the top of the street. And when I was a kid, my mother had an account there. I could go and get her cigarettes. If I, if she sent me down to the store, I wouldn't. It wasn't an issue for me to go get her cigarettes. I worked in the, in the kitchen at the local restaurant that used to be here, a place called Paul's P Row. My brothers, you know, cut their teeth at the other restaurant in town, Pre Jauns. There was only two, two, two main stops in town, you know, played a lot of baseball. I was a catcher for many, many years, and I love catching. When the boys started throwing at about 17, 18 years old, when the boys started throwing up over 80 miles an hour, I was like, I think I'm done with this.
- [17:47]
Buzz Knight
Well, the album, you know, Karen Crow, 20 years old, right?
- [17:53]
Mark Broussard
It sure is.
- [17:54]
Buzz Knight
How does that make you feel that it's 20 years old? And tell me how proud you are of that. That body of work and. And what it means to you today.
- [18:05]
Mark Broussard
Man, it was an interesting time. You know, I was 20 years old when I signed my record deal with Island Def Jam. I felt as if I had this team of people around me, between management, my band, and the label that were all smarter than me. And I felt good about that. I also felt like all I needed to do was show up and that I would be on a gravy train that would run forever. I was disabused of that notion about 2011 or so. So it did take me quite a while to realize just how much I had to engage in my own career. But, man, Karen Crow was an interesting time because, you know, it's a. It's a. It's kind of a schizophrenic album. There's a lot of different influences going on on that album. And I was adamant that the song Home should be my first introduction to the American consumer. The record label, however, wanted a song called where youe Are as the first single. I dug my heels in pretty hard, and, you know, they would send out the radio rep from the region who had already wined and dined the local program director at the hot AC station or the top 40 station, and they would show up at my show. And all night long, the regional radio rep for Universal is. Is bragging about this song, where youe Are. We just not play the song. I refuse to play the song. In fact, one of my favorite memories is we had morning television in New York City, national tv. We're gonna play two songs. We're gonna play Home and Where you Are. We play home first, and my entire record label is there. My managers are there. We play home. Go to commercial break, come back from commercial break, and the anchor says, and once again, here's Mark Broussard with Where you Are? And I turned to the band as she's saying that and said, play Rocksteady. And they're like, what? I said, play Rocksteady. And as soon as we hit the downbeat on Rocksteady, I can see all of my label executives and my managers through the glass in the studio, and they just start leaving. And my brother, actually, who's in the business now, ran into one, one of my former managers from that time a couple of years ago, who says that that day was the worst day in his entire music Career. I, I, you know, hindsight being 20 20, I probably would played it a little differently these days, but there was, there was something about letting them know that they, no matter what they did, they couldn't control me. And, you know, maybe that kept me away from some success. I don't know. Nor do I really care at this point because truth be told, I'm very happy with the way my career has gone over the last 20 years. I can still walk down Main Street, Disney World with my family without being bothered by anybody. My wife hasn't had to have a job in 20 years. She's been a stay at home mother. Now she's touring with me because our kids are a little older. So I wouldn't change a thing necessarily. But just having a little more wisdom about how business operates, I might have played it a little differently.
- [21:44]
Buzz Knight
They're like that Broussard guy, man. Boy, is he something, huh? Geez, he doesn't look like he'd be that way. He's so unassuming and.
- [21:52]
Mark Broussard
Wow. Yeah, you know. No, I'm teasing you.
- [21:57]
Buzz Knight
I'm teasing you. Listen, you gotta forge your path, man.
- [22:01]
Mark Broussard
I told my, my producer, Marshall Altman, I said, man, I really dislike this song, I hate this song. And he says to me, I'll, I'll, I'll sabotage it in the mix. And I trusted him. And he didn't. He turned it into a really perfect pop mix that the label was just over the moon about. And I knew that home was, you know, that was a much better introduction to what it is that I do. Where you are was a song that, yeah, you know, it is what it is.
- [22:36]
Buzz Knight
But Home has grown in stature over the years, consistently.
- [22:42]
Mark Broussard
Sure.
- [22:43]
Buzz Knight
It's because it just so connects with everybody in everyday life. Right?
- [22:49]
Mark Broussard
Yeah, you know, I can't necessarily put my finger on it. It's a song that my father originated. The guitar riff was originally his. And he and I had actually, I had called him out to help me open some shows for a guy named Martin Sexton. We played Atlanta and Birmingham with Martin, and on the way home from Birmingham, we were driving down I 2059 and he says, hey, Mark, you remember that, remember that guitar riff? I said, yeah, of course. And he says, what do you think about this? Rolling down the road, going over, guitar packed in the trunk. And he kind of looks at me all goofy like. And I had to turn my head out, out the window because I didn't want him to know how cool I thought he was at that moment. I thought that was a Hell of a lyric. And right. Right when he. Right when I looked out the window, I saw my marker 112 fly by. And I just kind of turned back to him and said, somewhere around my mark of 1:12, Papa started humming the fun. And I had no idea that that one little brief passing moment would turn into a career defining song for me. But I am eternally grateful that my dad was so inspired to share that with me that day. And I have had no issue whatsoever playing that song every night for the last 20 years. Man. It's a joy to play. We've evolved it over the years into, you know, different versions from the original and I think every evolution has made the song better. None of us get tired of playing that song. It's a hell of a song to.
- [24:32]
Buzz Knight
Play, don't you think? That's one of those moments that when you think about the art of collaboration and creating and you think about how often everybody overthinks certain things and collaboration and creating, that that was a moment that it was just like, trust your, your judgment and then let it go and make it happen and let it flow. I mean, don't you think?
- [24:57]
Mark Broussard
Yeah. I mean, look, collaboration is the defining term of music. What, what I do on stage every night with my band is, is collaborate. And there are, there's, there's place for intention always. You know, I find that my guys and I do better and feel a lot better about the show when we all have very defined roles and especially after some rehearsal time before going into a new set. But at the same time, the most beautiful things that we've ever come up with on stage are absolutely spur of the moment things that inspire everybody else to pick up on the next time that that round comes around. Whether it's referencing some zeppelin or whatever in the middle of the first chorus and by the time the second chorus comes around, everybody else has picked up on it. Those are really, really fun moments. Those are the moments that make what I do the best job in the world. We'll be right back with more of the Taking a walk podcast. On June 11, 1998, a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing. It's an all out manhunt for John Awjay. Every search and rescue team in LA county has been called in to help. Within days, tips started flooding into the sheriff's department. The rumor around the drug scene was that a deputy was taken care of. Is this the story of a man who just got lost in the desert or of a cover up inside? Inside the nation's largest sheriff's department. A homicide captain saying detective, do not find out if this guy's guilty or innocent. Who does that? Valley of Shadows, a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert. Do you have any advice for us while looking into this disappearance? I wouldn't do it alone. Listen to Valley of shadows on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everyone, it's Ed helms and I'm Kal Penn and we are the hosts of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast I am talking to film and TV critic, radio and podcast host and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most? I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands. You have the crowd sounds like all around you is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts. The moments that shape us often begin with a simple question. What do I want my life to look like now? I'm Dr. Joy Hardin Bradford and on Therapy for Black Girls we create space for honest conversations about identity, relationships, mental health and the choices that help us grow. As cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloucester reminds us, we are in a divisive time where our comments are weaponized against us. And so what we find is a lot of Black women are standing up and speaking out because they feel the brunt of the pain. Each week we explore the tools and insights that help you move with purpose, whether you're navigating something new or returning to yourself. If you're ready for thoughtful guidance and grounded support, this is the place for you. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Like if we're on the air here and I literally have my contract here.
- [29:10]
Buzz Knight
And I'm looking at, you know, as.
- [29:12]
Mark Broussard
Soon as I sign this, I'm gonna.
- [29:13]
Buzz Knight
Get a seven figure check.
- [29:14]
Mark Broussard
I've told them I won't be working here in two weeks. From the underground clubs that shaped global music to the pastors and creatives who built the cultural empire, the Atlanta Is podcast uncovers the stories behind one of the most influential cities in the world. The thing I love about Atlanta is.
- [29:30]
Buzz Knight
That it's a city of hustlers, man.
- [29:31]
Mark Broussard
Each episode explores a different chapter of Atlanta's rise, featuring conversations with ludicrous Will Packer, Pastor Jamal Bryant, DJ Drama, and more. The full series is available to listen to now. I really just had never experienced anything like what was going on in the city as far as, like, you know, seeing so many young, black, affluent creatives in all walks of life. The church had dwindled almost to nothing.
- [29:57]
Buzz Knight
And God said, this is your assignment.
- [29:59]
Mark Broussard
And that's like, how, you know, like, okay, oh, you from Atlanta for real. I ain't gotta say too much. I'm a Grady, baby. Shut up. Listen to Atlanta is on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [30:16]
Buzz Knight
When you think of the people that you collaborate with, if you're meeting somebody that you're potentially going to collaborate for the first time, what are the signals you look for that would indicate it's going to be a great collaboration?
- [30:34]
Mark Broussard
It's a good question, man. Most of the time, it really comes out of left field, to be honest. One that comes to mind right now is a song called I'll Never Know that I wrote with a guy named Darrell Scott. I'm sitting in Daryl's parlor at his home. He's playing lap steel, and we're writing this beautiful song. It talks about all the things that you'll never know. In the middle of it, he just stands up and puts the guitar down without missing a beat and makes his way to the piano and then takes over on piano. And it was such a stunning display of musicianship because I'm in awe, you know, I mean, I'm a singer. I play enough guitar to get by and to write, but I'm not really an instrumentalist in. In the sense that my father is, mostly because when I. When I was about 15 years old, I was like, dad, how'd you get so good in guitar? And he said, well, son, when I was your age, I was practicing about six or eight hours a day, and I said, so I'm gonna be a singer. I guess I was just always too lazy to put in the work on guitar. But to witness somebody again without missing a beat, put the guitar down, make your way over the piano, and start playing the most beautiful piano was really stunning for me. Chris Stapleton also absolutely blew my lid off, mostly because I was familiar with his voice before, I was familiar with his name. And in a writing session, a co writing session like that, we typically spend about 10 or 15 minutes just kind of chatting. It was Chris, myself, and a guy named Jed Hughes. And the whole time Chris and I are chatting, Jed is over here just playing, playing some. Some guitar. Beautiful guitar. So we, you know, Chris and I are kind of getting to know each other a little bit and talking about what I want to write about. And then all of a sudden, he starts wailing. And I immediately recognize the voice. And I said, excuse me, hold on. I said, are you the steel driver? And he says, well, I was. And he kind of tells me the story about how he ended up leaving that band. And for the rest of that writing session, man, I was. I. I liken it to this clip from the movie Stepbrothers with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. After Will Ferrell's character sings for John C. Reilly's character. John C. Reilly's character is like, I can't even look at you. I've never fallen in love with another man. That's the closest I ever came. By far, the closest I ever came.
- [33:27]
Buzz Knight
I want to talk about your work with charities, even though I'm still laughing, and charities are not supposed to be funny, so I'm just laughing at the story.
- [33:37]
Mark Broussard
But it's all good.
- [33:38]
Buzz Knight
I love it. Your work with charities is pretty amazing through your SOS Foundation. Talk about that work and the charities and what that work means to you, because it's really amazing.
- [33:53]
Mark Broussard
So the first SOS that we made was actually out of necessity. I had made a second effort for Island Def Jam. They decided that they were not going to release that album. We asked to be let out of our contract. They agreed to let us out, but I could not take the album that I had just recorded. And we didn't feel like there was enough time to go back into a writer's mode. It was going to take too long to write a new album. And so we decided the best course of action was just to record a covers album, a bunch of really classic soul songs, stuff that I had grown up on that my young fans may not know about. And we knocked that. Knocked that project out of the park. Once I left the major labels around 2011, the CA. So the calculus on record deals is such that I never saw a dime from record sales and thus never built it into my family's budget because I didn't see it. And so I figured once I got off the major labels that this money that used to go to keep the lights on in office buildings in New York and Los Angeles. And Nashville was better served keeping the lights on for people that actually needed to keep their lights on. My managers were like, hey man, you don't have, you don't have this in your budget. You need this money. And I was like, no, I don't. I'm. I haven't needed it for the last 10 years. I don't need it now. Let's, let's set up. Let's build philanthropy in to my business. And so SOS2 was the first of those releases. I think that was probably somewhere around 2013 and was so much more successful than I had ever even anticipated. I knew it was going to work. I knew that my fans. The music business was dying, right? The record sales industry was dying. So I wanted to give my fans an extra incentive to leave the shows with something in their hands. And partnering with charities was, was exactly that incentive. They, My fans reacted to the project like gangbusters. It got me to Europe for the first time. It we. We've been able to raise tens of thousands of dollars through each one of these projects for various charitable causes all around it. It's been a swimming success. And more importantly, it told my managers that even my hair Brandi schemes are, are maybe worth taking a second look at because they were convinced that it was a massive, massive mistake. And once it succeeded the way that it did, they were like, okay, whatever you want to do now let's go.
- [36:49]
Buzz Knight
Have you personally seen where your music is, you know, helping people through challenging times? We produce and this other podcast called Music saved me about the healing power of music. So have you, have you witnessed in any instances with your fans or one on one with anybody that that music has really a healing power?
- [37:17]
Mark Broussard
Yes, lots and lots of stories over the years, but one really stands out. We were playing a small club in Los Angeles and my tour manager says, hey, there's a guy in a wheelchair. He wants to meet you. I said, sure, tell him to come right after soundcheck. And I'm headed out the back door right after soundcheck when he, this guy is being wheeled into the building by his girlfriend. And he tells me, mark, I wasn't always in this wheelchair. About a year ago, I was outside a club here in Los Angeles and I got sucker punched. I was put into a coma at the 30 day mark. The doctors tell my family it's probably time to pull the plug. They decide they're gonna pull the plug. Then she walks in with a Stereo and puts on your song home. And for the first time in 30 days, I start mouthing the words and tapping my finger. That was my first signs of cognition in 30 days. Man, that, that was so much fuel. That one story gave me so much fuel for my tank. I've had plenty of families show up. And to say that, you know, I'll never forget one time, father and son showed up in South Carolina. Dad's wearing a suit. It's kind of tie. Tie is a little loose. Son has got tattoos and big holes in his ears. And the dad tells me he's got his arm around his son. He says, we haven't spoken in 11 years. Ever since my mom, his mom and I split. And then your music brought us back together. Those are kind of the stories that I live for, to be honest with you, because I could go do something else at this point. Traveling is hard. Traveling and being away from my family is hard. And not seeing a ton of improvement in attendance numbers or our, our, our ticket sales or, or guarantees is hard. I could go sell insurance and probably make a better living at this point. But those are the stories that kind of tell me that I'm, I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.
- [39:43]
Buzz Knight
Man. Thank you for sharing that. That's amazing. And then you ventured off into a children's book.
- [39:53]
Mark Broussard
Yeah.
- [39:55]
Buzz Knight
I love you for you.
- [39:57]
Mark Broussard
Yeah.
- [39:58]
Buzz Knight
What prompted you to go down the road of writing a children's book?
- [40:04]
Mark Broussard
Well, I love kids. I love kids so much that I have to prevent myself from picking up random kids and just hugging the crap out of them. I asked permission. Now, not that I ever really picked up random kids, but I, I really do thoroughly enjoy being around children. I like working with kids. My. I have a, a godson that's just started catching. He's six years old and he's a catcher for baseball. And so I, I bought him all the gear. And I love working with kids. A dear friend of mine, a guy that I had worked with on a number of product projects, Kurt Zinzian, his wife happens to be an illustrator. And every time we got together on a project, we'd end up at dinner after, after a performance or something, and Rebecca and I would talk about, about working on a children's book together. And finally I've got this SOS foundation. There's a brand new hospital, children's hospital that opened up just down the road in Baton Rouge that expanded this region's ability to care for, for chronic and terminal sick children by something like 180,000 kids a year. And I thought that was a worthwhile project to, to put an SOS behind. And so once I decided that it was going to be a lullaby album, we figured, why not, why not do a book in conjunction and help raise some funds for this hospital? Rebecca jumped at the chance. We were always, you know, we were always both very, very into the idea. We just needed the right, the right moment. And so the opening of this children's hospital was the right moment for us.
- [41:59]
Buzz Knight
Any plans to follow it up?
- [42:01]
Mark Broussard
Yes, in fact, we've been in talks for a little while now to do so. The book is I love you for you. It's basically a story about a parent or an adult figure in a child's life saying, no matter what you're going through, no matter what you got, what, what problems you're facing, I love you for you. If you can run like the wind or if you need a wheelchair to get around, I love you for you. If you can sea to the moon or if you need spectacles, I love you for you. And the next project I think we're gonna focus on I love you for you too, which would be from the child's perspective to a parent to, to say, you know, no matter if you had a great day at work or it was the worst day in the year, I love you for you too. So we'll see exactly when that comes along.
- [42:53]
Buzz Knight
Have you gone to schools to talk to kids in conjunction with the book?
- [42:58]
Mark Broussard
Yes, I've done a few readings over the years. We've, I've visited the hospital as well and done some readings there. It's, it's honestly been the most remarkable piece of merch items I've ever had. There's not a single person that leaves the merch table without that book when we have it available. It's, it's really been a, a beautiful, beautiful venture. And so I'm definitely gonna do a, do a follow up.
- [43:30]
Buzz Knight
You've collaborated with some great people. I'd like to hear who some of your favorites in terms of collaboration are. And then I'd like to hear maybe folks that you wish you could collaborate with in the future.
- [43:42]
Mark Broussard
Oh, man, I, I got to open for Paul Carrick years ago and in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, a few other spots in, in Holland. It was right after I signed a record deal, a big record deal with Atlantic Records. And for those of you who don't know, Paul Carrick was in three massive bands. He was in Ace Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics. And after the show in Rotterdam. I asked him, I said, paul, I just signed this million dollar record deal. You got any advice for me? And he says, mark, I've signed some of the biggest record deals in the history of the music business nowadays. I have a building in England. That building houses my management company, which I own. It houses my record label, which I own. It houses my booking agency, which I own. I'm working harder than I've ever worked. I'm making more money than I've ever made and I'm happier than I've ever been. It took a few years for that message to really resonate, but it's one of the most important conversations I've ever had because nowadays, although I don't own my management company or my booking agency, I do own my record label. I'm definitely working harder than I've ever worked. I'm making more money than I've ever made and I'm definitely happier than I've ever been. Paul's advice that day was really a game changer for me and I, I think about it often. Bonnie RA we did nine shows on the road with her. She was an absolute doll of a human being. She called me up to sing Love Sneaking up every night, called the entire band up for the encore. And she bonused me about $4,000 in cash at the end of that nine show run, which is probably about equivalent to what we had made for the entire run, which taught me a lot about paying attention to the financials of the people that you have supporting you on tour. I never forgot it, I'll never forget it. We all, everybody in my crew got Christmas cards from her every year for like 10 years after that show, after those shows. She's quite, quite honestly one of the sweetest people I've ever met and a hell of a singer and a hell of a songwriter to boot. Joe Bonamassa and I dropped a record last year. He produced an album for me, SOS4 and man, talk about one of the most talented yet humble people I've ever been around. The guy is one of the best guitar players on planet Earth and yet does not hesitate to give his chair up for somebody else. So when I call a buddy of mine like Eric Krasno to come and sit in on on a track instead of kicking Joe Josh Smith out of the chair, Joe's the one that volunteers to get up. Incredibly talented, incredibly humble, incredibly gracious. So much so that we are, we actually have on the schedule to go back into the studio next month to record an original album. As far as people that I wish to work with. There's a singer by the name of Yeba who I've been desperate to work with for years. She's one of the best singers I've ever heard in my life. There's another singer named Emily King that I think is brilliant. And I'm. I'm making overtures to both of those young ladies for this blues project with Joe. I would say working with Stevie Wonder would be probably the top of the list. If. If I ever get the chance, I'm gonna jump.
- [47:42]
Buzz Knight
Yes, you will.
- [47:43]
Mark Broussard
Oh, yeah.
- [47:44]
Buzz Knight
Oh, my God. What a unbelievable time this has been. Speaking with you. I'm so grateful that you came on the podcast to tell the story. Is there anything that I might have left out that you want to talk about?
- [47:59]
Mark Broussard
Man? Not at all. We've got a brand new record. We just dropped a record Eric Krasno produced for me. In fact, I'll tell you this, this little tidbit about this album. So I was sitting in about 2018, I was sitting on a batch of about 30 songs, and I was ready to make an album. And I only wanted to work with one guy, the guy named Jeremy Most. And Jeremy is notoriously difficult to get in touch with. After two years of searching, by March of 2020, I'd all but given up. Told my manager, I said, let's stop searching. I'm gonna call my buddy Eric Krasno to produce these songs. Eric and I have known each other for 20 plus years. I loved everything that he's ever produced. And so I reach out to Eric and I said, hey, man, look, I got a batch of material that I think is ready to go for an album, but you and I should start writing together to just kind of get the juices flowing round off the edges of the album, see if we enjoy working with each other. And about a week later, we had an entirely new album he had sent me. He would send me instrumental tracks in the morning. By the afternoon, I'd send him back a full, full song that I tracked right here in, in this little home studio. And we got this entirely new record. We're both fired up about it, but we're in the throes of a pandemic. And so we put the pause on everything until September about last year. I'm going to fly out to Los Angeles in September of last year. Now, this record making process was quite different than any prior for me in that Kraz was responsible for all the tracking without me being there. And I was just going to fly out to sing final vocals and do a few overdubs. And because I'm a little older and wiser now, I. I don't want to just fly by the seat of my pants. I want to make sure that I'm not flying out there to waste my time. And so I called Eric about two weeks prior to me flying out there, and I said, hey, man, look, what's the plan? I don't want to come out there and waste my time. He says, oh, no, I got it, man. It's all good. Xyz, blah, blah, blah, blah. I got the plan. I said, okay, I'll see you in two weeks. And right as I'm about to hang up the phone, Crass says, oh, by the way, J Most is out here. Should I ask him if he wants to work with us? And I said, what do you mean J. Mos is out here? He's like, yeah, he's been. He's been looking for places to live for the last four months, and so he's just been staying in my guest bedroom. The guy that I looked for for two years happens to be just camped out in the guest bedroom of the second guy that I called, man. I said, yeah, ask him who wants to work with us. He texted me about five minutes later. He's like, he's down, man. I cried like a baby. I cried like a little child. Mostly just because it was like the universe kind of again, you know, telling me, like, stop worrying so much, man. We got you. I got you. It's. It's been a hell of a journey. I wouldn't change a thing, except maybe I'd have played where you are a few times back in the day. But it's. It's a hell of an album. The new album is called time as a thief, came out in September, and I think it's probably the best of my career.
- [51:41]
Buzz Knight
Congratulations on it and thanks for giving it to us, and thanks for giving us everything. And, brother, thanks for being on Taking a Walk. This was a blast.
- [51:49]
Mark Broussard
I appreciate you, Buzz. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone, it's Ed Helms, and I'm Kal Penn, and we are the hosts of Earsay, the Audible, and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am talking to film and TV critic, radio and podcast host and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most? I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands you have the crowd sounds like all around you is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts. On June 11, 1998, a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing. Hey, if they'll kill a cop and bury him, what are they going to do to me? What really happened to the missing deputy? Valley of Shadows A new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert. Listen to Valley of shadows on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.