For Ariel Posen, songwriting and guitar playing have always gone hand-in-hand. He's spent a decade building a bridge between those two worlds, balancing his work as a hotshot instrumentalist — including collaborations with everyone from John Mayer to Tom Jones — with solo albums rooted in melody and autobiographical storytelling. The result is a career that's every bit as diverse as his music. With performances at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, his own Fender Stratocaster Signature Model, and a powerful voice that matches his fretwork, Posen explores uncharted territory, blurring the lines between genre and generation along the way.

“Future Present Tense” is a song that shows a new side of Ariel’s sound while still staying true to what his fans already know and love. “Future Present Tense” is “about a timeless and transformative love that lives in the moment but feels infinite,” says Posen. “It explores the electric, overwhelming pull of a deep connection, the kind that blurs time. The phrase ‘Future Present Tense’ captures a love so powerful it collapses past and future into the now. There's desire, surrender, and a sense of spiritual gravity to the relationship. It’s about being taken somewhere emotionally uncharted, again and again.”

"Vagabond” is a song about “the restless search for belonging, the push and pull between freedom and fragility,” explains Posen. “It traces a life lived in motion—from youthful escape to the weight of years gone by—capturing both the thrill and the ache of wandering. Driven by high energy and a playful pulse, the song still makes room for the real feelings beneath the surface. At its core, it asks: if we’re all searching, where do we truly belong?”

Raised by musical parents in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Posen played guitar for hometown friends The Bros. Landreth — and won a JUNO Award for the band's first release, Let It Lie — before launching his solo career in 2019. Multiple solo records followed, showcasing an ever-evolving mix of rock & roll, R&B, Americana, and electrified roots music. Some albums were filled with tightly-constructed, vocally-driven songs. Others were collections of improvised guitar instrumentals. Together, they highlight a musician who continues to push ahead, chasing down new sounds while still honouring his roots.