Ariel Posen

For Ariel Posen, songwriting and guitar playing have always been inseparable.

For ten years, he has been building a bridge between these two worlds, combining his work as a virtuoso guitarist, with collaborations ranging from John Mayer to Tom Jones, and solo albums rooted in melody and autobiographical storytelling.

The result is a career as rich and varied as his music.

Between his performances at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, his own signature Fender Stratocaster model and a powerful voice to match his guitar playing, Posen explores uncharted territory, blurring the boundaries between genres and generations along the way.

On his latest album, "Bannatyne", this exploration brings Posen back to where it all began. Named after an avenue in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the record speaks to the need to revisit one's past in order to better appreciate the present.

Across its 12 tracks, towering riffs and uplifting tempos mingle — a nod to the 1990s rock that filled Posen's childhood — along with the syncopated grooves and bold, unexpected textures that have always guided his work.

Fuelled as much by the raw energy of his live shows, where Posen doesn't hesitate to plug in his guitar and let his virtuosity speak, which led Rolling Stone to describe him as a "modern guitar hero", as by the precision of his songwriting, "Bannatyne" offers a 360 portrait of an artist in full evolution, pursuing new horizons while staying true to his musical roots.

This idea of "moving towards something new" has guided Posen for years, ever since "How Long" unveiled in 2019 his blend of soulful rock & roll, R&B and amplified Americana.