Joy Askew’s new album “Drunk On You,” begins with the captivating single of the same name -“In another life I thought I was sober, but I, I, I, I was drunk on you”. The music reels with inebriation and swings between conscience and adventure as Askew calmly states the realization of a big truth. The lyrics suggest uncertainty but the featured piano fills and texture of the band possess a feeling that there is so much more to give.
This is followed by the song “AOAO”, which has a held back feeling at first but then suddenly explodes after the 2nd bridge with Steve Elliott’s guitar shining through like glittering stars falling to earth.
Joy brings all of her experience and influences together in the 10 songs on “Drunk On You.” Sometimes they are sensitive and evocative and sometimes they groove their way through catchy sing-along choruses. Leading you through different worlds and ideas, Askew presents songs that musically attract, while being thought - provoking at the same time.
Recorded mostly with her band in NYC, “Drunk On You” was produced by Joy Askew and mixed by Brian McTear (Sharon Van Etten, Joan Osborne) with 2 extra mixes by Leanne Ungar (Leonard Cohen).
Immerse yourself in “Drunk On You”!
Who is the link between Peter Gabriel
and Sufjan Stevens?*
…or the band
Okkervil River and performance artist
Laurie Anderson?**
When writing about myself I would always start by saying that I was 'originally from the North of England'… in fact that's not true but I grew up there from age 5 in Newcastle, famous for its coals and shipbuilding. The place was grimy, cold and hard but full of character and culture, with many theaters and concert venues and legendary clubs. Newcastle was frequented by the likes of Bob Dylan (Don't Look Back) and Jimi Hendrix (his manager Chas Chandler, bassist for the famed Newcastle Band The Animals was a true Geordie and my father was his headmaster!) I love the English movie Get Carter set in Newcastle and starring a young Michael Caine, it really reflects well a lot of what this once Roman Northern garrison town was about.
There was so much legendary live music when I was a teenager and by the time I was 14 years old I was playing and singing around town in a blues band with my brother Roger.
So I went to jazz college and took up the tenor saxophone along with playing the piano and singing. After a few years playing in London and listening to Sly Stone, Parliament Funkadelic and Quincy Jones, I knew I just wanted to be in America….so I came – because I got the chance! My chance was to tour the East Coast with Warner Bros. band Eye to Eye as their keyboard player/backing vocalist and after that tour fell apart I joined fellow Brit. Joe Jackson on a world tour for his Night and Day Record. That tour lasted a year and was a real high. We got to play with the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Grateful Dead and visit Australia and Japan. I was truly devoted to being in New York after that experience!
In 1984 I met and toured with performance artist Laurie Anderson playing keyboards and singing. She later went on to make a film and record of that tour called "Home of The Brave" You can find that film on DVD and it is beautifully put together with gorgeous color and innovative techniques for its time. Working with Laurie was an incredibly unique experience. She is an inspired artist, constantly changing and thinking. I played mini-moog bass with my left hand as well as prophet 5 and DX7 synthesizers and dressed up as a ballerina with a concertina. It was a lot of fun and her monologues were very inspirational! Also in the film are legendary guitarist Adrien Belew , drummer David Van Teigham and the Five Blind Boys From Alabama.
In the following years I appeared on some Joe Jackson records (Big World, Blaze of Glory, Laughter & Lust, Live) and started writing my own songs. A highlight during this time was playing with Jack Bruce from the legendary band Cream at Madison Square Garden. I didn't dare tell him that I'd actually been a member of his fan club at age 14!
In 1991 while playing on a Jules Shear record I met Nashville guitar player Steuart Smith who introduced me to singer songwriter Rodney Crowell. I toured with Rodney for 6 months playing keyboards and loving it and learned a lot about songwriting from the experience. On that tour I remember we seemed to keep crossing the Rocky Mountains… every night! Who did the routing? We did some great hikes. Also on the Jules Shear session was bassist Tony Levin who recommended me to Peter Gabriel for his tour of the record US. I was a huge fan of Peter's at this point so it was a great honor to play and sing with him. During the "Secret World" tour we played "Saturday Night Live" here in NYC and you can still catch reruns of that on cable TV from time to time.
Returning to New York after that tour, I settled into my own career as an artist and even though I had written songs for many years previously, this is where I feel I really began to find myself and explore my own expression. Tender City was released on BMG in 1996. This record has performances by Peter Gabriel, Larry Klein, Jerry Marrotta and Shane Fontayne, among others.
Three more self released solo albums followed, then I formed a duo with electronic jazz musician Takuya Nakamura named ECHO and our CD of the same name was released on the New Line Records label in 2002. This was a total departure from my other records as it is an electronic jazz downtempo record with a mixture of jazz standards and originals. The remixes by Rae & Christian and Jay-J played a lot on West Coast radio. Also during this time I was lucky enough to get a publishing deal with one of my former heroes in music Quincy Jones, who had the graciousness to come to New York's very own Arlene Grocery and hear me play live with my band. This may have been a common sight in LA but quite unusual for NY's Lower East Side!
In 2008 I released "The Pirate Of Eel Pie". This is an album of songs and was recorded and co-produced with legendary drummer Ricky Fataar in San Francisco. We've been friends since the late 80's when we both played on Pheobe Snow's album "Something Real".
I started writing songs for "Drunk On You" the following year. I was staying in a house with a wonderful sounding Steinway. The house was close to Hampstead Heath, my former stomping ground after college and the ideas kept coming! "Drunk On You" was recorded with my band in NYC and was mixed in Fishtown, Philadelphia by Brian McTear. A couple of tracks were also mixed by old friend Leanne Ungar, from Laurie Anderson days.
I have been an activist on behalf of farm animals since 2004. I volunteer to help bring awareness of farm animals in dire factory farms across America and to promote Veganism for ourselves, the animals and the planet. My song Poor Man's greed appears in the film "Peaceable Kingdom – The Journey Home" and several songs on "Drunk On You" reflect this volunteer work.
At Rockwood Music Hall at the CD Release show : I Broke The Law
At Rockwood Music Hall : Walk Under Waterfalls
Live at 7 Train 7 : Monique's Window (a new song!)
PATH - People Protecting Animals & Their Habitats
Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
Peaceable Kingdom – The Journey Home
Brighter Green
Farm Sanctuary
Ana Milosavljevic
Brian McTear - Weathervane and Shaking Through
Sound Bites Dog Mastering
Mark Saunders
Beat 360
Christine Alicino
Liz Tormes
spit+image (Chris Kornmann)
designck (Charl Kroeger)
Ana Maria Velez Wood
Stan Schnier (Photography)
Robert Di Pietro
Garrin Benfield
Innerviews - Music Without Borders
Joy Askew - Drunk On You
(Mark Saunders Radio Mix)
Upcoming Shows: |
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| Joy Plays Rockwood... full band show. | |
| Date: Venue: Phone: Time: Admission: |
Wednesday, 8 February, 2012 Rockwood Music Hall 196 Allen Street, New York, NY 212.477.4155 9.00pm $5 |
| A song from "Drunk On You" on network TV in February! “All The Little Birds” will play on RINGER – a show on CW network. This is the first placement for Drunk On You. Hope you get a chance to watch and listen. |
|
| Date: Time: |
Tuesday, 7 February, 2012 9.00pm |
| Joy will be playing live with her band on the Irene Trudell show on WFMU! She will be performing 4 songs from 'Drunk On You' and will be talking to Irene about the new CD during the program. Click here to visit the station online. |
|
| Date: Time: |
Monday, 6 February, 2012 12.00pm - 2.00pm |
*In 1993 Joy Askew toured with Peter Gabriel playing keys and singing. A couple of years later, Peter sang on a track of her first CD “Tender City”. Joy sang in the choir featured on Sufjan Stevens’ 2010 release “All Delighted People”.
**Joy Sings Background vocals on Okkervil River’s latest release “I Am Very Far”. In 1984 Joy toured with Laurie Anderson playing keys and singing, then appeared in her movie “Home of the Brave”.
“In another life we were in clover, from 'Drunk On You' “Dressed in black, against the night
we’re taking back from 'I Broke The Law' “When I think about the old concert hall from 'Walk Under Waterfalls' |
Here is some fun footage by Stan Schnier from the taping of the cacophonous Hungry March Band for 'I Broke The Law', recorded at the Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, New York. |
Click on an image to view it larger or click on the link below the image to download a press resolution version. Photo credit: "Liz Tormes Photography"
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Buy the album at BandCamp |
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Buy the album at CDBaby, including a bonus radio mix by Mark Saunders |
F-Bomb: Support Women Artists Sunday: Joy Askew
Joy is featured on the website
Examiner.com:
Joy Askew returns to songwriting focus on latest album...
TimeOut New York:
The versatile, accomplished singer songwriter widely recognised for her work alongside Joe Jackson, Laurie Anderson and Peter Gabriel, Joy Askew celebrates the release of a handsome, revealing new album "Drunk On You".
Daily Freeman (Sound Advice) (Hudson Valley Newspaper):
Joy Askew is a musician; she’s also an artist. For the former, she’s played keyboards and sang harmony with some of the biggest stars in music… (click here to read more)
Now I've Heard Everything (Blog):
Joy Askew has a brand new album out titled Drunk on You. The record sounds absolutely gorgeous and last week it refused to let me play anything else.... (click here for more...)
AMNY (Daily newspaper in NYC):
"On her new album "Drunk On You," Askew's tunes are highlighted by a soft piano-infused style that blends elements of pop and folk genres."
"….she can bring her voice from the soaring arena-filling sound to a quiet more intimate vocal effortlessly. The production on the album is worthy of Peter Gabriel--well engineered. And the writing shines through... beautiful songs, originally told stories, each can take you away in a different direction.”
“I had heard her name as she'd been the touring keyboard player on Peter Gabriel's "Us" tour. After hearing this CD, I now know why it took 2 people to replace her: A French keyboard player and Paula Cole. She's not only a wonderful player and arranger, but a remarkable singer/songwriter.” (from a review of Askew’s 1st CD Tender City).
“An awesome vocalist and songwriter--Joy Askew is totally underexposed.”
“I purchased this record in my quest for most everything Peter Gabriel (he's here on (the track) I'm Still Looking For A Home). As expected, the entire album stands out with spectacular songs from start to finish. Beautiful vocals and fantastic writing. I don't often write reviews or rush to write them after a first listen, but I am doing so now. Thank you, Joy !!!!” (from a review of Askew’s 1st CD Tender City).