Biography

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. 

Hailing from his family’s farm in Southwestern Ontario, Rogers grew up building greenhouses, growing vegetables, and living off the land. “Growing up my family drove a big VW bus. We listened to a lot of fiddle music, going from festival to festival,” he says. “These days I live in one of the barns, tap trees, and make music.” 

It’s impossible to separate Rogers’ knack for brisk syncopation from the terrain he knows so well. In fact, the intense tension of Rogers’ voice – complete with a sweeping rasp and a flying drawl –  seems to come directly from the farm’s wellspring. “There’s a massive pack of coywolves and coyotes in the woods near us,” he says. “You can hear them every night, howling and fighting.” 

Delivering songs from a deep well of passion for storytelling, Rogers’ lyric sensibility is rare among young artists. His most recent single, John Came Home, is a haunting take on the murder ballad.  “I’d had the riff for about six months,” he says. “I tend to write short stories and convert them into songs.” John Came Home is full of upbeat boldness and ghostly ire that culminates in a direct hit to the chest. 

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 on Charlie Boy, 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. 2019’s Better By Now introduced Rogers as a unique talent in Americana. Inspired by fellow troubadours Tyler Childers, Red Lane, and Colter Wall, Benjamin has shared stages around the USA with the likes of Molly Tutle, Shovels & Rope, and The Milk Carton Kids. 

With a stream of new singles released over the past year, Rogers is riding a creative wave. “I just set up a studio in the barn” he says. “I’m excited to start laying down new tracks there. Sometimes we even get the odd coyote howl funnelled into the recording.” 

New Single John Came Home

HIGHLIGHTS

2019: “Mercy” Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition

2017: Won Unsigned Only International Songwriting Competition award - Folk/Singer-Songwriter Category & “Triple Play Get Exposed Online (Special Promotion) Category”

2016: Won International Songwriting Competition - “Looking for a Fight”

PRESS

“Rogers’ unique voice, thought-provoking lyrics, energetic performances and dynamic fiddle techniques leave this up-and-coming musician in a class of his own.” - Roots Canada April 5, 2019

"Rogers excellently manages to convey the emotions of his songs ….a talented singer-songwriter” - HOERS.DE

"We cover a lot of acoustic singer songwriters around here, so when we do feature one it has to be good. Rogers is talented. The way he cranks up the intensity of the vocal on the “really oughta know better by now” on the chorus reveals something deep and satisfying. It’s disturbingly personal....it’ll rip your damn soul out." - EAR TO THE GROUND MUSIC

"What a beautiful album "Better By Now" that particularly shines with Benjamin Dakota Rogers extraordinaire power of telling stories, the organic feel all along the tracks, his beautiful and emotional voice, along this gorgeous soundscape. Benjamin Dakota Rogers unique voice gives an emotional intensity to these very good songs....really a beautiful album.” - MIKE PENARD - FRENCH BONJOUR AND AMERICANA MUSIC & RADIO ISA FRANCE

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CONTACT

Management: crispin [*at*] goodpeopleonly.com

Press: contact [*at*] goodpeopleonly.com