Ed Askew’s Posthumous Album Marks the End of a Quietly Revolutionary Career

Ed Askew, the reclusive poet-musician who died at 84, is set to have his final album, *The Final Painting*, issued this month. Produced by longtime collaborator Jerry David DeCicca, the record features contributions from Bill Callahan, Sharon Van Etten and Glasgow psych-folk group Trembling Bells. DeCicca says the project captures Askew’s “singularity” that first attracted him in the early 2000s.

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Born in Connecticut in 1940, Askew studied painting at Yale in the early 1960s before moving to New York’s East Village folk scene in 1967. He recorded his self-titled debut for ESP-Disk in 1968, though the follow-up *Little Eyes* remained unreleased until 2002. Over his career he produced roughly 50 albums across labels, archival releases, live recordings and self-issues, many funded by house-painting, art teaching and occasional welfare assistance. His baroque songwriting drew on influences ranging from Kurt Weill and John Cage to the visual art of Paul Cézanne, and his lyrics have been described as “flâneur-like” observations of everyday life.

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DeCicca emphasizes that Askew “just wasn’t wired” for commercial success, focusing instead on daily songcraft. Bill Callahan, who sings on the new album, recalls touring with Askew in 2011 and notes a “Jesus-y” vibe mixed with “a little scamp.” Close friend Jay Pluck highlights Askew’s early bravery in writing openly gay love songs in the 1960s, a facet that remained largely unpublicized.

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• Approx. 50 albums released (DeCicca).

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• *Moon in the Mind* appeared on Netflix’s series *Baby Reindeer* in 2024.

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• Posthumous interest has grown through endorsements from contemporary artists such as Steve Gunn and Trembling Bells.

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• “He just wasn’t wired that way,” — Jerry David DeCicca

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• “I think if most people wrote a song like that it would be about their agitation but Ed’s point of view is so different,” — Jerry David DeCicca

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