As a singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, and recording artist, young Rhode Islander Jesse Liam, who fronts The Jesse Liam Band, walks an artist’s tight wire act, blending the spirit of the roots rock era with a modern musical edge. Grounded in classic influences while embracing contemporary styles, Jesse creates performances that bridges generations. On stage, he delivers commanding performances that combine dynamic vocals, visceral dance movements, and electrifying energy, drawing audiences into every rhythm and lyric.

Liam’s passion for artistic expression was nurtured by his father, East Providence native Jack Gauthier, who inspired his lifelong love of music, particularly classic rock ’n roll. Gauthier, a former science teacher at St. Brendan’s in Riverside, changed careers early on in life to pursue his love of music. Holding the guitarist’s seat in the band, he’s an accomplished musician in his own right, as well as a record producer, recording engineer, and proprietor of Lake West Recording Studio in West Greenwich, R.I. His work has earned widespread respect and recognition in the music industry, including two Grammy nominations for his contributions as a producer and engineer.

I recently sat down with these two artists and found them both to be thoughtful, engaging, and deeply absorbed in their craft. It quickly became clear that their musical mentorship is communal. Father and son continually learning from one another, building a creative partnership rooted in mutual respect, shared passion, artistic growth, and above all, love.

I asked Liam about his first memory of music.

“Well, my first recollection of music was the albums that my dad bought for me as a kid. I was very young. Single digits. It was all the music that was going on,” said Liam. “I remember getting songs from the ’60s playlist, but also who was ever the pop star at the time — he would pick it up for me.

“Subconsciously it felt like something clicked internally when I heard music. It just felt soothing, pacifying, I guess. I mean I don’t think I fully understood it but, I noticed at the time it felt inspiring,” said Liam. 

Although Liam participated in different sports and activities that were offered in school, he said music was the most prominent influence for him in the course of growing up.

“Music was always something that I could kind of escape to, to be in my room and listen to it and dance to it. I loved dance music and things that would make me move,” said Liam. “I wanted to do whatever the pop musicians were doing. They were singing and dancing.”

In the early 2000s there was an explosion of teen pop stars. Groups like NSYNC and Backstreet Boys dominated the airwaves. Liam said he was, ‘’listening to anything that would make me feel like I could sing and dance. I wanted to be that kind of entertainer.”

“Dancing came naturally to me as a kid. When a song would come on, I really never thought about it,’’ said Liam. “I would just kind of embody it and start singing and dancing along with it without really knowing why.”

A father’s influence

I asked about his father, who is a record producer, engineer and musician. What impact did he and his world have on Liam’s psyche?

“Well, I grew up, whoever he was recording at the time, the musicians would come to the house and stay over and have dinner and we’d get to know them on a personal level,” said Liam. “And they would always show interest in us as well jamming around the house. Also, my dad would let me come to the studio to watch artists’ record. I was immersed in knowing what it was to be a recording engineer, producer and making and recording music from scratch.”

Being able to observe musicians record and interact with one another in the studio, as well as seeing them socially, gave young Liam a bird’s-eye view of what it meant to be a working musician. This rare insight provided him with invaluable lessons about both the music industry and the realities of a career in music.

“Having the musicians come to the house was a big thing for Jesse,’’ said Gathier. ‘’He got to know them personally, so it was a casual thing to have a jam, whether it was in the house or outside by the pool. He got to hear and see the dynamic between musicians, and I think that was enticing to him.”

“My dad watched me singing in the choir in musicals in school, so we started to work together around the time I turned 15,” said Liam. “I have a very good memory, and I can learn anything so any song that he was playing around the house I could sing along with it. I could pick up on the melodies. So, from there we put a few songs together and we started playing open mics and things like that.”

It was difficult for Liam to sing the kinds of songs in the duo that he was personally listening to at the time. The music he was into was largely electronic, while the duo was performing acoustic, earthy material, with his dad playing guitar. Every once in a while, though, they might find that rare diamond of a song that was popular at the time and could be adapted into an acoustic arrangement. 

 Making music together

In the beginning, when we played strictly as a duo, I mostly picked the songs from my era, and Jesse was happy to sing them. So, you have this 15-year-old singing Beatles songs, Buck Owens songs and he even sang ‘Good Time Charlie’s got the Blues’. Imagine a young boy singing that song?” chuckled Gathier.

The project eventually expanded to include drummer Mike DeQuattro and bassist Randy May, creating a four-piece rock lineup ideal for concert-style dates. But Gauthier says, “flexibility is the key”. Depending on the venue size and budget, they can also perform as an acoustic trio with hand drums percussion, or just as an intimate duo featuring Liam and Gathier. They play originals, covers, or a mix, adapting both lineup and set list to suit the audience and venue. 

“I guess I am the band leader,” said Gauthier. “Certainly, Jesse is the leader from the standpoint that he has to pick the songs and approve them. I handle the nuts and bolts, like putting together the set lists. I asked Jesse for his thoughts then we collaborate on the order and flow of the show. But I always explain to Jesse why I think we should do things a certain way.”

Liam says his dad is the best tutor he could ever have, both within and outside of the music business. Decades of experience and professional wisdom, combined with the unique closeness of a father-son relationship, have created a bond that most people could only dream of.

“When I introduce the band, I always introduce that that’s my dad on guitar. I get emails to tell me how heartwarming it is,” said Liam. “It’s great to have him there as someone to feel comfortable with and someone who you know has your back even in uncomfortable situations that we all have sometimes, musicians or not. It’s a blessing.” 

Like father, like son

Along with being an active live performer, Liam is also a prolific songwriter, having recorded six CDs (at last count) as a solo artist. The title track of his CD, ‘The Light that Follows Me Home,” was written by Liam as a homage to his grandfather, and when father and son begin to harmonize, it’s difficult to tell who is singing which part.

“It’s in the DNA,” said Gauthier. “It’s the same vocal cords. That’s what we always say. It’s a family thing, like for instance The Bee Gees, Heart, or say The Everly Brothers. When our voices blend, it sounds like a third part. It just sounds bigger, and people have told us that.”

The band has played throughout Southern New England, including Harbor Lights in Warwick, The Dunes Club in Narragansett, The Blandford Fair in Blandford, Mass., The Scituate art Festival, The Big E in Springfield Mass., The Lobster Pot in Bristol, The Barrington Arts Festival, and as far away as Finland.

“I was recording a band at my studio with Duke Robillard producing the album,” said Gauthier. “They were The Wentus Blues Band from Finland. We all worked together well and hung after the sessions. They got to know Jesse and what we were all about. We became very friendly with them, and as time went on, they helped us to set up a three-week tour of Finland.”

They played clubs and music stages across Finland to what they described as an, ‘amazing experience.’ Being paid twice as much as at home, along with all their food and lodging, made them feel like “kings.”

“I connected with people there, and we still keep in touch. They watch everything I do — the friends and fans that we made during that tour. I still Facetime with them when I can,” said Liam.

A new CD of fresh music

Back home, Liam’s newest CD, just released in August, is titled “Dream Line.” It’s a 20-song collection that marks the first time in his recording career that every song on the CD is an original.

“The new album has 20 songs, and I just can’t stop writing. For some reason the channel just stays open,” said Liam. “I put the ideas down in a memo at the house, then I bring it to the studio and just from the memo I made I had all the percussion ideas, all the lyric ideas, the piano parts written out, the melody line and the chorus/verse. I had everything planned out and was already making dance moves to it before I even bring it into the studio. I can hear music, but I can also visualize it.”

I asked Liam if it was important these days to incorporate dance moves into live performances.

“Kind of. I mean, it is because that’s the Tik Tok culture where everyone is making dances to things. They need things to be more visual, to pop and to stand out, because there’s so much stuff out there. But I’m not following the trend because I’ve always done it, but I am aware of it.”

“The first thing people say is, ‘where does he get his energy’ and ‘those dances are amazing.’ ”

And all the while he’s singing.

“That’s the thing to me. Even though I’m known for my dancing and energetic performances, I feel like I’m a singer first. I eventually realized as a kid that a lot of the groups that I was listening to then, that were dancing and singing, were actually lip-synching. But the more I was around real musicians, thanks to my dad, I knew I wanted to meld the two, and be honest with the audience, because I think you have to give to get, and performing is a two-way street.”

Look for Jesse Liam on Facebook, Instagram and jesseliam.com

Michael Khouri is a Barrington resident writing occasionally about the Rhode Island music scene. Reach him at mkhouri@cox.net.