About
Benjamin Dakota Rogers wields one of those distinct, immediate, and truly wild voices. With a studied nod to old-time and bluegrass rhythms, his unvarnished sound effectively smashes the barrier between past and present.
Delivering songs from a deep well of passion for storytelling, Rogers’ lyric sensibility is rare among young artists. Rogers finds a way to match his instrument to the guttural twang of the voice. “I inherited my great-grandfather’s violin when I was young,” he says. “So I grew up playing that.” After a few years on six-string, Rogers began tuning his tenor guitar like a fiddle. “Tenors are neat because they were only popular for a short time in the 1920s. I’ve played about two-hundred shows on mine. It’s beautiful, and unreliable,” he laughs. The unconventional nature of such a classic piece shines throughout his catalogue, where precise picking builds to a dramatic peak. With sturdy backing by a sparse rhythm section,Rogers offers a fresh and authentic contribution to the traditions of string-band sound.