Ariel Posen [2023]

<p>KingTone’s The Duellist is currently Ariel Posen’s most-used pedal. One side of the dual drive (the Bluesbreaker voicing) is always on. But there’s another duality at play when Posen plugs in—the balance between songwriter and guitarist.</p><p>“These days, I like listening to songs and the story and the total package,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.premierguitar.com/artists/ariel-posen-steps-out-with-how-long" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Posen told&nbsp;<em>PG</em></a>&nbsp;back in 2019, when talking about his solo debut,&nbsp;<em>How Long</em>, after departing from his sideman slot for the Bros. Landreth. “Obviously, I’m known as a guitar player, but my music and the music I write is not guitar music. It’s songs, and it goes back to the Beatles. I love songs, and I love story and melody and singing, and there was a lot of detail and attention put into the guitar sound and the playing and the parts—almost more than I’ve ever done.”</p><p>And in 2021, he found himself equally expressing his yin-and-yang artistry by releasing two albums that represented both sides of his musicality. First,&nbsp;<em>Headway</em>&nbsp;continued the sultry sizzle of songwriting featured on&nbsp;<em>How Long</em>. Then he surprised everyone, especially guitarists, by dropping&nbsp;<em>Mile End</em>, which is a 6-string buffet of solo dishes with nothing but Ariel and his instrument of choice.</p><p>But what should fans expect when they see him perform live? “I just trust my gut. I can reach more people by playing songs, and I get moved more by a story and lyrics and harmony, so that’s where I naturally go. The live show is a lot more guitar centric. If you want to hear me stretch out on some solos, come see a show. I want the record and the live show to be two separate things.”</p><p>The afternoon ahead of Posen’s headlining performance at Nashville’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thebasementnashville.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Basement East</a>, the guitar-playing musical force invited&nbsp;<em>PG</em>’s