Article Contributed by KG Music Press
Published on 2026-08-24
Award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner returns with Rest and Rise, a powerful new album that charts the path from heartbreak into healing while reflecting on the social and political realities that have shaped the last decade.
Written over the course of two to three years, the twelve-song collection emerged during one of the most transformative periods of Posner's life. In the wake of a painful breakup and amid a rapidly shifting cultural landscape, she found herself examining not only what had been lost, but who she was becoming. The result is a deeply personal record that weaves together heartbreak, grief, queer identity, aging, political awakening, hope, and ultimately, healing.
“Rest and Rise came out of one of the biggest periods of transition in my life," says Posner. "I was reeling from a heavy breakup, but at the same time I was rediscovering myself. These songs became a way of exploring grief, identity, hope, and all the different versions of who we become after life changes us. I wanted to make a record that acknowledged the messiness of healing while still believing there's something beautiful waiting on the other side."
Rather than lingering in despair, Rest and Rise traces the difficult but hopeful journey toward rebuilding. Songs confront the lingering weight of loss, the uncertainty of social change, the exhaustion of remaining engaged in an increasingly polarized world, and the quiet resilience required to keep moving forward. Throughout the record, Posner embraces contradiction, recognizing that growth is rarely linear and that healing often begins by accepting our own imperfections.
Musically, Rest and Rise showcases Posner at her most adventurous. Rooted in Americana, folk, indie rock, and singer-songwriter traditions, the album expands those foundations with inventive arrangements and fearless production. Posner produced, engineered, mixed, and performed nearly every instrument on the record herself, layering acoustic textures with unexpected sonic elements, including the distinctive cello banjo, to create a sound that is unmistakably her own. Ryan Cassata appears on "Failures on the Wall," while Freddy Angelico contributes pedal steel on "I'm Doing Fine.”
"I challenge myself as both a writer and producer with every album," Posner says. "I love sculpting sound as much as I love writing songs. Every layer, every instrument, every production choice becomes part of the storytelling. I wanted these songs to grow from simple ideas I wrote on banjo or guitar into fully realized worlds."
That creative independence has become one of Posner's defining strengths. A self-described "genre fluid" artist, she has built a national reputation as an electrifying performer and accomplished songwriter, appearing at NPR's Mountain Stage, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, AmericanaFest, Ants Pants Festival (with headliner Gillian Welch and David Rawlings), Strawberry Music Festival, and dozens of renowned venues across the country. Her music has been featured on Hulu, Netflix, The CW, Freeform, CMT, and in national advertising campaigns, while her award-winning song "Get Loud" became the official hype anthem for the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
Despite those accomplishments, Posner remains most interested in creating music that connects on a deeply human level. As many people continue to grapple with personal, political, and emotional uncertainty, Rest and Rise offers something increasingly rare: an honest companion for navigating change. Without preaching or offering easy answers, Posner invites listeners to embrace life's contradictions and discover that resilience comes not from having everything figured out, but from continuing to move forward.
"I put everything I had into this album," she says. "I played almost every instrument, spent countless hours writing, recording, mixing, and refining every detail. More than anything, I hope people hear themselves somewhere in these songs. If they leave feeling a little less alone, then I've done what I set out to do."
With Rest and Rise, Abby Posner delivers her most complete artistic statement to date, an album that acknowledges the weight of heartbreak and history while reminding listeners that even after life's deepest unraveling, there remains the possibility of renewal.
Rest and Rise releases October 30, 2026 via Golden Poppy Music.
