Ed Askew

The Profile

American singer-songwriter and painter associated with psychedelic/outsider folk. His cult debut Ask the Unicorn appeared on ESP-Disk in the late 1960s; he is known for singing over the distinctive chime of a tiple.

Known for the album Ask the Unicorn on ESP-Disk and for playing the Martin tiple; later releases include Little Eyes and For the World.

A single ecstatic review hails Ed Askew’s late-60s ESP-Disk album Ask the Unicorn. The write-up celebrates his raspy, vulnerable voice and unusual string instrument, framing him within outsider, freak/psychedelic folk. Fans of Pearls Before Swine and Daniel Johnston are pointed straight at this cult classic.