He first came to prominence as the mind-bendingly gifted guitar player with fellow Winnipeg act The Bros. Landreth. Ariel Posen’s international stature as a rising guitar star became so substantial that it came as something of a surprise to many when in 2019, he put out his own debut album as a singer-songwriter, How Long.
But what initially began as a side project for this guitar ace quickly became his full-time occupation. His work as a recording artist combines his six-string wizardry with a penchant for biting, heart-on-sleeve lyrics, and a sweet, soulful singing voice that makes the listener feel like he’s singing right in your ear. Over several LPs and EPs since then, Ariel’s unerring knack for timeless grooves and melodies has continued to evolve, and his music has connected with audiences all around the world, in rather astonishing ways.
The September 2023 release of his third full-length album Reasons Why sees him headlining tours all across North America and beyond. The whole months-long trek was kick-started by a massive show in Los Angeles, where Ariel was among the luminaries playing at Eric Clapton’s legendary all-star guitar-centric concert series Crossroads… along with his old bandmate Joey Landreth!
And from there, the tour took Ariel straight to Alberta, where he took some time to drop by CKUA studios, guitar in hand, to talk about his meteoric rise, sharing the stage with guitar gods, and his inspired brand-new album.
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