Ed Askew’s Diamond-Chord Psych-Folk Finally Finds Its Audience

A profile of Ed Askew, the late cult US psych-folk songwriter and painter, whose idiosyncratic, impressionistic songs—built around baroque, diamond-like chords and a non-commercial ethos—have inspired a new generation of artists. His posthumous album The Final Painting arrives on Drag City with guest vocals from Bill Callahan and Sharon Van Etten, underscoring a slow-bloom revival of his work and his influence on contemporary music, including recent soundtrack presence like Moon in the Mind on Baby Reindeer.