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FYI

Billboard Canada FYI Track Of The Week: Jeff Rogers, "Lock & Key"

Searing guitar, lusty horns, and virile vocals make this a winner.

Jeff Rogers

Jeff Rogers

jeffrogers.ca

It was announced this week that Dream Job, a new solo album from Ottawa-based roots singer-songwriter and keyboard player Jeff Rogers will receive a North American release on Feb. 16 via Diesel Entertainment.

Rogers’s name may not immediately ring a bell, but Canadian country and blues fans will recognize The Cooper Brothers and HOROJO Trio, two acclaimed combos in which Cooper is a member. He has also worked extensively locally as a solo artist, and now seems poised for greater attention.


“Lock & Key,” the first advance track from the album, validates the growing buzz around Rogers. It is a sizzling soul/blues romp, featuring searing guitar, lusty horns and Rogers's virile vocals.

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The Southern vibe reflects the fact that the album was recorded at Wishbone Studios in the famed music mecca of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a place that has spawned classic albums from the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Etta James, Paul Simon, Otis Redding, The Black Keys and more.

Rogers recruited some of the town's ace players, with combined credits including Bobby Bland, The Staple Sisters, Keb Mo’, Delbert McClinton, and Drive-By-Truckers). Also featured (though not on this single) are Canadian stars Colin Linden and Kellylee Evans, with Dick Cooper of The Cooper Brothers co-producing (with Rogers and Steve Foley) and co-writing all the tracks with Rogers.

A listen to other cuts on the new album leaves an equally positive impression. Look for Dream Job and Jeff Rogers to make a mark in 2024.

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Sam Fender on stage accepting the Mercury Music Prize for the album 'People Watching' at the "Mercury Music Awards 2025" at the Utilita Arena on October 16, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
JMEnternational/Getty Images

Sam Fender on stage accepting the Mercury Music Prize for the album 'People Watching' at the "Mercury Music Awards 2025" at the Utilita Arena on October 16, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Awards

Sam Fender Triumphs in Hometown 2025 Mercury Prize Ceremony

Fender saw off competition from FKA Twigs, Fontaines D.C., CMAT & more

Sam Fender‘s People Watching won the Mercury Prize on Thursday (Oct. 16) in a ceremony held in his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Launched in 1992, The Mercury Prize is an esteemed annual prize that celebrates the best of British and Irish music across a range of music genres. For the first time in its history, this year the ceremony was held outside of London, taking place at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne.

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