by Mely Duong
photo by Todd Cooper
Southern Soul Assembly is a band inspired by the deep rooted legacy of Southern culture, as insinuated by their band’s name. The authenticity of southern culture, particularly Louisiana, member Marc Broussard drives their soulful, original tales of with personal experience, which serve to embody a variety of genres such as blues and funk rock.
Although the band debuted in 2014, they have yet to make a record. “It’s quite difficult to get all four of us in the same place together, because all four of us have our own careers outside of this project,” explains Broussard.
Southern Soul Assembly is by no means a traditional band. It consists of JJ Grey from Jacksonville, FL who plays guitar and sings; Anders Osborne from New Orleans who plays guitar and sings; Luther Dickinson from Memphis, MS plays guitar and sing; and Broussard from Louisiana who also plays guitars and sings. Readers might suspect an inevitable clash with everyone performing the same roles. However, the band utilizes a “songwriter-in-the-round set up,” in which each person takes a turn playing their own song and singing, while the remaining members play along.
Stemming from this, the band has not been pigeon-holed into a singular sound. Broussard feels that they have not even established what their sound truly is. This is just a band with enough experiences between the four of them to develop captivating storytelling. They are simply Southern Soul Assembly.
Because each member writes their own songs, it is difficult to determine a particular process of writing for this band. Broussard offers insight into his own writing style. At times he will sing a verse or a chorus into a voice memo into his phone when he is inspired. Then, when the band is finally able to meet up, the rest of the band and Broussard throw in more ideas until the song is finished together.
With each member of this super group having their own solo careers, they each prioritize their own immediate needs first and their own capabilities and responsibilities. Broussard does assert that “Moving forward, once we are all able to write and record together, you’ll start to see other skill sets emerge and we’ll start to look more like a real band.”
You can check out their sound and songwriting skills this week, as they stop by City Winery in NYC on March 17th, and Philadelphia area at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside on March 18th.
