One Spring 2018 WEB

As one of Nashville’s fastest-rising
music stars, Ross Livermore is
making his voice heard.
The Peabody native’s recentlyreleased
EP, “This Is Not Forever,” has drawn
praise from critics and music fans for its
rootsy grit and driving rhythms and earned
comparisons to the Tedeschi Trucks Band
and even soul legend Al Green.
Livermore, 33, convinced some of his
North Shore buddies, including fellow
Peabody native Paul Dumas, to come down
to Tennessee and collaborate with a few
of his Nashville friends on the project. He
wrote the songs, put the musicians in one
room and, with no rehearsals, recorded it
live to tape at Welcome to 1979, one of the
city’s most prominent studios. ( Jason Isbell,
Lady Antebellum and Steve Earle are among
those who have recorded there.)
The son of entrepreneurs grew up in
South Peabody. His dad, Stephen, worked
as an architect out of the basement in their
home, while his mother, Susan Rambis,
styled hair in their kitchen. Eventually, both
parents turned their household passions into
successful businesses.
“Looking back, it was really good to
watch them start their businesses out of the
house and now see them as thriving” said
Livermore from Nashville. “Their work ethic
laid a great foundation for me as an artist.”
Everything changed for young Ross when
his father received an acoustic guitar as a
Christmas gift from an old friend. He admits
that until that first guitar came into his life,
he didn’t enjoy music as much as he loved
playing sports.
“I went to my dad’s house and started
playing and fell in love, so every weekend I
began playing and teaching myself acoustic,”
he said. “I learned from strumming patterns.”
By that April, with his birthday
approaching, all Livermore wanted was a
Jackson Red electric guitar. Soon after, he
started playing music with Dumas, a former
Tee-ball teammate. With Dumas on drums
and Livermore on vocals and guitar, the
music flowed out of them.
“The first song we played in his parents’
basement was ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep
Purple,” Livermore said. “That was a defining
moment. It was like the sea opened up and I
knew what I was going to do for the rest of
my life.”
‘I miss my family, my friends,
the ocean and the food. You
can’t get roast beef three-ways
here in Nashville.’
Ross Livermore
Livermore’s parents divorced when he
was in first-grade at Brown Elementary
School. By the time he was in eighth-grade
at Higgins Middle School, his love for music
took flight..
During high school, rock music provided
the influence, with Metallica playing a
prominent role. After being inspired by
the screams and the aggressive guitar riffs,
Livermore and Dumas started a band, Brake
for Moose.
An admired substitute teacher at Peabody
Veterans Memorial High became his mentor
in lyricism. Once Livermore established
songwriting skills, he discovered R&B and
such soulful artists as Otis Redding, Stevie
Wonder and The Temptations. At Salem
State University, his devotion to music
traveled even further.
“I had been living on
the North Shore my
whole life and felt I
needed a change,” he
said.
So, Livermore packed
his bags, waved goodbye
to his parents, brother
Ryan, and sisters
Sydney and Lane, and
hopped on a plane to
study abroad in Italy.
This would be where
he’d jump-start his
professional career.
Livermore’s first paid
gigs were just off the
“toe” of Italy’s “boot” in
Sicily. After getting a
taste of a real musician
lifestyle, he continued
to book performances
up and down the
Mediterranean coastline.
Years later, Livermore’s
hunger to partake in
new experiences gained
an even bigger appetite.
In September 2015, he
and a high school friend
rented a U-haul, got a
trailer, packed everything
into his Honda Element
and drove south. The one
destination on his mind?
Nashville.
“One of the main
reasons I ended up in
Nashville is because I
would be surrounded by
the best songwriters in
the world, and I wanted
to study the craft,” he
said. “That and the
affordable rent.”
Livermore said it took at least a year until
he adjusted to his new home. Now, having
lived in Nashville for more than two years,
he considers himself a better writer and a
better musician. But the decision to take a
risk wasn’t without its challenges.
“I miss my family, my friends, the ocean
and the food,” he said. “You can’t get roast
beef three-ways here in Nashville, and local
sub shops don’t exist.”
No matter where Livermore lives, he said
the North Shore will always be a huge part
of who he is.
“Although I love the North Shore, it’s great
to be inspired by new places. Go somewhere,
meet new people, live new experiences and
the music will thrive.”
COURTESY PHOTO BY RICHARD ISRAEL
Ross Livermore performs at a venue in Nashville, Tennessee.
19 | ONE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018