Whether it’s in televised interviews, on-stage performance banter, or any other context in which a microphone’s near, Marc Broussard comes across as someone with a degree of kindness, courtesy, decency, and friendliness. 

The same holds true in a phone conversation. 

Mention that you’re curious about the food and cultural scene of his beloved, longtime residence of Lafayette, Louisiana, and minutes later he’s still talking about his favorite restaurants. He’s not just naming the businesses. He’s giving details about ingredients and flavors. 

Broussard does get out of the South from time to time, which he will do when he embarks on a 38-date tour that includes Europe and kicks off Friday, Sept. 6, at Sweetwater Performance Pavilion.

Doing his part

It’s obvious this songwriter’s life spent in Acadia — the Cajun, largely-but-not-exclusively rural portion of Louisiana with its cultural center in Lafayette — has developed within him a source of pride and strength. 

Along with recording at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, he’s also done plenty of charitable work in the area. An example is his 2023 album of blues and soul classics, S.O.S. IV: Blues for Your Soul. It was released in March of that year as part of a series of albums (each dubbed with the S.O.S. tag) tied directly to a cause. In this case, it was released on Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive Records and benefited the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation.

Broussard worked on efforts to strengthen communities after disasters wrought throughout Louisiana by Hurricane Katrina. He’s played in front of U.S. troops around the world. He’s also been keen to not only set up his own charitable efforts, but to tie into those of collaborators and friends. 

Those would be worthy things to note, no matter his popularity as a performer, but his ability to stretch into a third decade of worldwide performance is allowing him the widest platform possible. 

Going back to debut

Broussard sees 2024 as a busy year, as he’s set to release his first album of original material in seven years, Time Is a Thief, on Sept. 27. 

On most of his upcoming dates, he’ll continue to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Carencro, by playing it in its entirety. 

“It’s the 20th anniversary of the album that was the launchpad of my career, and the fans that I developed 20 years ago have consistently stayed with me,” Broussard said. “Playing that in its entirety, in a live setting, I don’t think I’d ever done that. For one reason, or another, some of these songs never did get played live. And I think the fans are geeked out of their minds, to say the least.”

Mixing things up

He said, with some humility, he’s still struck by some of the twists and turns his life’s taken. Though his father, Ted, was guitarist for The Boogie Kings and is a member of the Louisiana Hall of Fame, he has taken the family trade to a new level. 

“My father is a guitar player and he was in bands around here my entire life,” Broussard said. “I was definitely the roadie for a lot of those gigs. 

“Once he figured out that I could sing, I was playing the next weekend. Then I played with The Boogie Kings and my father’s own projects as well. 

“My dad is a rhythm-and-blues player. Really, he’s a jazz player. And we really weren’t around the Cajun scene as much. That wasn’t until I was an adult and making friends in the music community. These were names that I knew, but guys that I didn’t know personally. 

“It’s a very interesting music scene in Lafayette. There are certain little pockets that sometimes keep to themselves — the Cajun music guys, the zydeco boys who have their own friendships and rivalries. There’s some rock n’ roll. My son’s really gotten into rock, harder rock, and there’s a massive scene for that. There’s sometimes not a lot of intermingling for the different genres.” 

Which is an interesting bit of background for someone’s who’s mixed and matched styles all his life, or, at least, for the two decades since he released Carencro, be it for his tracks that feature horn-fueled R&B, straight-ahead blues, Americana-tinged rock, or the meld that’s scored him the title of the “King of Cajun Soul.” 

Home is where the heart is

With that kind of title, it’s clear Broussard has no plans to leave his home. After all, Dockside Studios (and its 12 bunks) is nearby. His wife and four kids have roots, and his parents are able to help out around the house when several members of his family join him on the tour bus. 

And, as Broussard will tell you, there are plenty of places to grab a great bite in Lafayette. 

“We’ve raised four children here. We just love it,” he said. “Never found a good enough reason to leave. It’s the hub of Cajun culture, based on family, food, and music. It’s an amazing place to raise a family, if I have to say so myself.”

And it’s been a good place from which to base his career.

“My family kind of understands that this is what I do for a living,” he said. “They’ve become accustomed to my not being at home for long stretches, though we do try to keep touring limited to about two weeks out at a time, which has stayed pretty consistent. 

“My parents are retired and my kids are getting older now. My wife has come out on tour quite a bit, and there are instances when I take my family out, too. My oldest has worked as a guitar tech, and my youngest has sold merch with mom. We keep it as family friendly as possible.”