The Ed Askew Interview

Self Portraits from the mid 1980’s.

When and where were you born? Are you originally from Stamford, CT? What was growing up like for you? When did you first begin to have a fascination with music as well as painting? Was music and art something that was relevant around your house growing up? Were your parents, or close relatives creative?

Yes, I was Born in Stamford, Ct. 12/01/40. Growing was ok. Small street, small city back than. I had a few friends. Otherwise I kept to myself. I liked to draw. By high school I belonged to 3 choirs, My father sang when he was young but had almost no interest in my music, There was a connection though, we had an old tiple that had been In our attic for years, and when I was high school I got strings for it and laugh myself to play.

Ed with his mother Bella Crane.

Ed as a young boy throughout the 1940’s.

What groups left a huge impression on you early on? What would you and your friends do for fun in the early days? Did you participate in any groups prior to venturing into your own creative journey? Tell me about moving to New Haven in ‘63 to study painting at the Yale School Of Art. What was that experience like for you?

Yes, I was a student in painting at Yale Art School in new haven Ct. for 3 years. Before that I had a 4 year scholarship at a small collage near my family in Stamford. Also,I spent a summer in Mexico studying painting. Of corse I loved living on my own. And I had a bunch of fiends who were artists.

High school Rotery Club in Stamford, CT circa: 1959, or so.

The high school graduate off to art school circa: 1959 in Stamford, CT. Ed’s folks were not happy about it, but he got a full scholarship. Ed would live at home and work on the weekends.

That was nice. I had a great time. And made a lot of art. And I played my tiple for friends sometimes. But I hadn’t made any songs yet. That wouldn’t happen till 1966. (I never was involved in the NY folk scene. I knew nothing about that. Except for hearing some records that my roommates bought.

Yale Summer School of Music and Art circa: 1963.

After you graduated in ‘66 you were drafted. What was that initially feeling like? What was going through your mind at that time? Can you tell me about becoming a teacher at a prep school in CT? I'm sure you’ve wondered this plenty, but do you think you would have still become an artist even if you were drafted?

I was almost drafted. But thanks to an offer of a teaching job I never made it to Vietnam, witch everyone I knew was opposed to by then. (I hadn’t started having boy friends yet. So I couldn’t get out it that way. though I had a very nice girl friend that I stayed with in Brooklyn, for a short tine). Any way, I don’t know WHAT would have happened if I’d been drafted. I think I would have started making songs anyway. So I had a teaching job at the end of 66. In a privet co-ed prep school In Connecticut. I wasn’t a very good teacher. I would learn that skill later. Mostly whet I did there was writs tons of song (even though the school closed at the end of the semester.)

When was it during this time that you began to develop your songwriting abilities? You acquired your Martin Tiple during this time too, correct? Tell me about moving to NYC in ‘67. What was that experience like for you and during that time in America nonetheless?

So in 1967 I went to the big city. I didn’t stay long (something about finding a job and place to live). But I’d go around to coffee houses 9 the ones that you never heard of. But they loved me. Also someone suggested I might play for Bernard at ESP DISK, so I made a tape and took it there and was offered a contract for 2 recordings (they only released one).

Bread & Roses coffee house.

How did you initially meet the mind behind ESP-Disk, Bernard Stollman? What were your first impressions of him? Can you tell me about writing and recording your debut LP with him and the label entitled ‘Ask The Unicorn’? What was the process and approach to creating that album? When and where did recording start and about how long did that particular process take from start to finish?

When I made Ask The Unicorn I had moved back to New Haven. Bernard called me up and asked me to come to a studio in NY on a certain day. When I got there Onno Shultz (the recordist) was waiting for me. And we started recording, I had everything in my head that I wanted to sing and a list song for Onno. I think we spent two days recording. I returned to New Haven (where I had acquired my new BF, Carl., and waited for the big release day. I remember me and Carl going to see Bernard and getting records so there would be some in the local record store. And a few for myself to give to friends.

Poster Ed made in during the 1970s in New Haven.

I’ve heard that you recorded your second album, but it was never released around that time. Can you tell me about that? Were you playing gigs and pursuing other creative avenues during this time as well? What was it like to have a record under belt and potentially a second one? Was there ever talk, or generated interest in releasing this album?

I was asked to make the second album LITTLE EYES. About two years later. Onno Had asked to produce another album. I had tons of materill by than. But I had to get out of my ESP contract. I went to Woodstock to discuss it with Onno.
Well that didn’t happen. Stollman would not release me. And two years later I got to make LITTLE EYES. Only ESP was going bankrupt and LITTLE EYES was not released until DeStijl in 2002. Making L E was interesting. It was a verchal live in the studio record. Once again, it was just me and a guy in a booth, I told him to start the tape going and record everything (studio sounds ,falls starts, everything). Only Old Mother Moon would be done in one take on the piano. The 2nd day I had to redo two songs (I remember it taking an while to get the levels wright (it had sound like a live recording) than, the recordist Brought the tape into the studio with a splicer. And we edited the tape on the spot. Living some sounds between the songs.

Dixwell circa: 1973/74.

Ed’s room. The red painting over the door is the original painting for Little Eyes. ESP lost the transparency he had sent to them. Ed lost Jan's painting (to his everlasting shame).

Photo by Larry at Bread & Roses in New Haven (now gone).

Circa: October of ‘81 in New Haven.

What have you been up to in more recent years? Are you currently working on anything? How have you been during the pandemic? Have you managed to stay positive and creative during this tremendously dark time?

Recently, I’ve been playing with the Ed Askew Band. We Released 3 LP’s for Tin Angle Records. https://www.tinangelrecords.com/ed-askew Also, check out bandcamp: https://edaskew.bandcamp.com/ where I have stuff from labels, and many home recordings of just myself also.

Ed’s one person show circa: 1982 in NYC. Photo Yasunori Yamamoto.

Is there anything you would like to further share with the readers?

EAB is myself, Jay Pluck, and Tyler Evans and various other friends. Otherwise, Drag City has released older recordings mostly.
https://www.dragcity.com/artists/ed-askew. We have also been playing in NYC where I live, pretty regularly, until the pandemic hit us all. And than I had a stroke a year ago, and I’ve been dealing with that… Although I have started making new songs (as best I can.)

Best, Ed.

Photo by Brian Ferry.

Dakota Brown