ed askew

Ed Askew’s posthumous “The Final Painting” captures the fragile poignance of a great artist in the December of his years, giving one last shake of his feathers before exiting the stage. The album occupies a space between Bowie’s “Blackstar” and Cohen’s “You Want It Darker,” not raging against the dying of the light but dancing towards it with outstretched arms.

Ed Askew’s posthumous single “Tough Guys” is out today — a slow-burn chamber-pop piece about gay relationships observed and lived, with Fulvio Sigurta’s trumpet and lyrics of crushing intimacy. Also announced: “Boy with a Hat,” an exhibition of Askew’s paintings from 2014–2024, opens at Chicago’s Soccer Club Club on July 31st, the same day The Final Painting arrives on Drag City.

A final album from Ed Askew is on the way. “The Final Painting,” a posthumous album from the late outsider songwriter, painter and poet, arrives July 31st — assembled in his last years with producer Jerry David DeCicca. Lead single “Gray Air-o-Plane,” featuring Sharon Van Etten, is out today with a music video framed by Ed’s own paintings.

Read Tom Blake’s poem about Ed Askew – ‘He Is 82 Years Old Now’. Ed, an outsider folk musician, poet and painter, passed away recently; Tom called him “one of the finest, most big-hearted, most underappreciated songwriters of his or anyone else‘s generation.”

The legendary outsider psych-folk musician, painter and poet Ed Askew has died, he was 84 years old. He released his first album, Ask the Unicorn, in 1968 after graduating from Yale.

These songs have found a match in Trembling Bells that is perhaps unexpected but nonetheless perfect. If there were any justice, London would cement Askew’s place as one of our most valuable songwriters.

Trembling Bells collaborate on new Ed Askew album ‘London’, out in June. Listen to lead single Little Eyes and watch the video for Roadio Rose.

This week’s show has a strong leftfield and alternative feel to it. Some of the tracks are from albums released on small labels that we love: including Okraina Records, Folklore Tapes, Reverb Worship, Burst & Bloom, Cardinal Fuzz, North Western Recordings and Mega Dodo.

Drag City and Galactic Zoo Disk! announce Ed Askew archive release ‘A Child In the Sun: Radio Sessions 1969-1970’ from four unearthed reels of recordings of radio sessions including a previously unreleased track.

Trembling Bells announce a special tour this August with Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band and acid-folk legend Ed Askew to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love. We take a look back at that famous summer.

This year’s Fanø Free Folk festival (21-23 July 2017) is looking greater than ever. Names include Ed Askew, Brigid Mae Power, Sutari, Dead Rat Orchestra, Stanley Brinks & Freschard, Sharron Kraus and more.

Ed Askew’s 1968 release ‘Ask the Unicorn’ is to be re-issued (and remastered) on white vinly…we decided to celebrate with a Song of the Day from that release: Fancy That.