ARIEL POSEN

For Ariel Posen, songwriting and guitar playing have always been inseparable. For the past decade, he has been building a bridge between these two worlds, balancing 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 that matches his guitar playing, Posen explores uncharted territory, blurring the lines 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 album speaks to the need to revisit the past in order to better appreciate the present. Across its 12 tracks, imposing riffs and driving tempos—a nod to the 1990s rock that shaped Posen’s childhood—blend with the syncopated grooves and bold, unexpected textures that have always guided his work. Fueled as much by the raw energy of his live shows—where Posen doesn’t hesitate to plug in his guitar and let his virtuosity shine, leading Rolling Stone to call him a “modern guitar hero”—as by the precision of his songwriting, “Bannatyne” offers a 360-degree portrait of an evolving artist, pursuing new horizons while remaining true to his musical roots.

 

“This album is about coming home,” explains Posen, who played guitar for his longtime friends, The Bros. Landreth—winning a Juno Award along the way—before launching his solo career with his critically acclaimed debut album, “How Long.” “ It’s about looking back and appreciating where you come from, even when you’re on your way to something new.”

 

This idea of “moving toward something new” has guided Posen for years, ever since “How Long” unveiled its blend of soulful rock & roll, R&B, and amplified Americana in 2019. Subsequent albums, such as “Headway” and “Reasons Why,” significantly expanded this sonic palette, while the “Mile End” project—a trilogy of albums filled with improvised guitar instrumentals—highlighted another form of expression. “Bannatyne” also explores new territory. It features guests such as the Canadians City and Colour (on the raw, groovy track “Empty-Handed”) and Kathleen Edwards (who shares vocals with Posen on the stripped-down, slow ballad “More Me With You”). It also features anthems to living in the moment, such as “Future Present Tense,” punctuated by layered harmonies and bursts of distorted guitar. Between alternative tunings, soft vocals, and lyrics about the homes we all leave behind, Posen, the eternal road traveler, continues to shape his sonic identity album after album. It’s a powerful blend, and even though Posen has never hidden his influences, this record simply sounds like him.

 

“Every album helps me discover a little more about myself,” he says. “I’m not just a songwriter, and I’m not just a guitarist. I’m both at the same time. I take these worlds to which I feel deeply connected, and I bring them together, leaning toward one or the other depending on my mood. With ‘Bannatyne,’ the idea was to be a little dirtier, rawer, less polished in my performances. I wasn’t looking for absolute perfection or a overly clean execution. I simply trusted what felt right to me.”

Co-produced by Posen and his longtime collaborator Murray Pulver, “Bannatyne” undeniably rings true. It is Posen’s unique vision of electrified roots music: driven by song, fueled by guitar virtuosity, and resolutely personal.