"If Tom Waits had a singer/writer daughter in Memphis, it would be Askew with her gallery of lost souls on the graveyard shift. Gutsy, bluesy, and a bit boozy, she quietly sings with jagged languor and a skewed spirituality. Discreet percussion, guitar and, on occasion, wistful lap steel notes sagely frame her rough-hewn sophistication." - Bruce Sylvester, Sing Out! Magazine. May 2011. "She’s drawn toward the dark and quirky aspects of human nature, and giving hallucinogenic drugs to a canine undoubtedly qualifies as both. If there’s a point of reference to her songs, it’s at some hypothetical crossroads where the music of Tom Waits might make babies with that of Lucinda Williams, giving birth to children with an eye for the skewed stories of off-the-beaten-path places and people of the South. " - Steve Wildsmith, The Daily News (Mar 16, 2011) "Sultry, atmospheric singer-songwriter Grace Askew is a striking presence on the local scene as something of a bluesier answer to Cat Power, and a female version of Tom Waits, whom she counts as key influences." - Elizabeth Cawein, Memphis Music Foundation A sixth-generation Memphian, Grace Askew has called the Delta her home for her entire life, drawing much of her inspiration and style from the rural, muddy roots of her hometown. Starting guitar at age 13, Grace's passion for writing quickly melded with the instrument and ever since she has been writing her own material and performing live in coffee shops, dive bars, restaurants, performance halls, etc. In the past 4 years, the road has been a mainstay for Askew as she continuously pushes herself to travel the country, sharing her music with all walks of life via self-booked and self-promoted tours. The people, places, and experiences have thusly shaped her songwriting to the stories of what she has seen and simply what she knows. So far, her talents have afforded her the opportunity to open and tour with some of her musical heroes, such as Marty Stuart, Hayes Carll, Ray Wylie Hubbard, James McMurtry, Band of Heathens, and Jesse Winchester. You can catch her up-coming shows here: ReverbNation.com/GraceAskew Discography: Wasted Lipstick EP (2008): Ardent Studios w/producer Pete Matthews Hawthorne EP (2009): Ardent Studios w/ producer Pete Matthews Until They Lay Me Down to Rest (2010): Recorded in Midtown Memphis at Richard Ford's "Good Garden Studios" and the other half at Tweed Studios (Oxford, MS) w/ Andrew Ratcliffe. Self-Produced. Grace Askew & The Black Market Goods (2011): Recorded at Tweed Studios w/ Andrew Ratcliffe engineering. Also Self-produced. Went to #2 on the XM Bluesville Radio Charts and was deemed "Best Debut Blues Album of 2011" by Blues411.com