Culture news and discussion on TalkFuse.
‘His chords are like sheets of diamond ice’: the beguiling psych-folk of late cult songwriter Ed Askew
The cult US songwriter, poet and artist Ed Askew has died aged 84, a year before the posthumous release of his final album, The Final Painting, out this month. Over roughly six decades on the fringes of folk music, Askew built a devoted following among fellow musicians for his singular, baroque style, blending gay love songs with observational lyricism, without ever seeking commercial success.
Born in Connecticut in 1940, Askew studied painting at Yale before playing New York's "basket house" folk venues in 1967, which led to his 1968 debut on ESP-Disk, later retitled Ask the Unicorn. Across around 50 records he drew comparisons to Robert Wyatt and the Incredible String Band, though his producer and admirers, including Bill Callahan and Sharon Van Etten (both of whom feature on The Final Painting), describe his sound as closer to the paintings of Cézanne or the poetry of Lorca. His track Moon in the Mind featured on Netflix's Baby Reindeer in 2024, bringing unexpected late-career recognition.
In short
- Cult US folk singer-songwriter Ed Askew has died aged 84.
- His posthumous album The Final Painting is released this month.
- Admirers include Bill Callahan, Sharon Van Etten and Steve Gunn.
Explained simply
Ed Askew was a cult American songwriter, poet and visual artist who built a devoted following among fellow musicians over roughly six decades, despite remaining largely unknown to the general public. His singular musical style drew comparisons to artists such as Robert Wyatt and the Incredible String Band, though admirers described it as closer to the paintings of Cézanne or the poetry of Federico García Lorca.
Askew was born in Connecticut in 1940 and initially studied painting at Yale before playing folk venues in New York from 1967. He released his first album in 1968 and went on to record around fifty works across his lifetime, blending baroque folk with observational lyrics and love songs. His music remained largely within underground circles until 2024, when a track called Moon in the Mind featured in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer, bringing unexpected late-career recognition.
His final album, The Final Painting, is being released this month and features collaborations with contemporary musicians including Bill Callahan and Sharon Van Etten. Both are long-time admirers of Askew's distinctive approach to songwriting and composition.