Get ready for the return of Ethel Cain! When the indie, gothic rock artist recently deleted all of her pictures on Instagram and changed her profile picture, fans were hoping it was a sign that new music is on its way.
Well good news! On October 14, Ethel Cain announced that her new album Perverts will be out on January 8. She will be releasing the first single off the album “Punish” on November 1.
Not only are listeners excited for her new music, but they are also on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what happens next for the character Ethel Cain. If you are not familiar with Ethel Cain’s music, “Ethel Cain” is a pseudonym that Hayden Silas Anhedönia uses when writing her music. She writes songs from the perspective of the fictional Cain, a character Anhedönia created herself. Anhedönia’s most recent album, Preacher’s Daughter, is a conceptual album that tells the tragic story of Ethel Cain, a daughter of a deacon, and follows her life until her untimely demise.
In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Anhedönia said she was planning on releasing an EP focusing on the background of Ethel Cain. Since Preacher’s Daughter released in 2022, Anhedönia has only put out a cover of “For Sure” by American Football this September.
Before announcing Punish, Ethel Cain made a series of posts on Instagram alluding to the aesthetic of her upcoming release.
To get ready for the upcoming Ethel Cain return, here are some things to know about Anhedönia and the Ethel Cain character.
Hayden Silas Anhedönia
Hayden Silas Anhedönia grew up in Perry, Florida with her Southern Baptist family. Her father was a deacon and she remained in the church until she was 16. At the age of 12, Anhedönia came out as gay, and then on her 20th birthday she came out publicly as a trans woman. Coming from a religious family and town, Anhedönia explains it was hard feeling different from everyone: “We were a house divided—it was me versus my whole town.” But since then, Anhedönia has become a celebrated and beloved artist, finally able to be herself, a bisexual woman.
Anhedönia started making music in 2017 under several different monikers such as White Silas, Atlas, Miss Anhedönia, Tommy, and אשמדאי. Her EP Carpet Bed was the first collection of songs Anhedönia put out under the stage name Ethel Cain. She then released EPs Golden Age in 2019 and Inbred 2021, both using the moniker Ethel Cain. Preacher’s Daughter was Anhedönia’s first full-length album and first deep dive into the life story of Ethel Cain.
Ethel Cain & Preacher’s Daughter
Trigger Warnings: themes of abuse, violence, sexual violence, cannibalism, death, grooming, drug use, and religious trauma
Preacher’s Daughter tells the story of Ethel Cain, the daughter of a deacon in a small Alabama town called Shady Grove. It is revealed that her father had mentally and sexually abused her during her childhood. Ethel wants to escape her religious, conservative, and abusive lifestyle and eventually leaves Alabama on an across country journey.
Throughout the 13-track album, Ethel escapes from lover to lover trying to figure out who she really is. Her childhood love, Willoughby Tucker, leaves Shady Grove before the album begins. She then meets Logan Phelps, a bank robber and troublemaker, who gets her out of Shady Grove on his motorcycle. Ethel ignores his red flags for what she considers to be happiness. Their time together is cut short when he gets gunned down by police during a bank robbery. After the shooting, Ethel runs away and hitchhikes on the side of a highway in Texas. She is picked up by a man named Isaiah, who tells her about his trip to California, which she agrees to accompany him on. The two begin an intense relationship, spending nights at motels together on their way to the West Coast. Once in California, Isaiah begins selling Ethel into prostitution, feeding her drugs, and gaslighting her to stay with him. Ethel has finally hit rock bottom and in a drug induced hallucination, she finally sees all the abuse and torment Isaiah is causing her. When she tries to leave him, Isaiah kills and eats Ethel while she screams.
The ending of the album follows Ethel’s ascendance into the afterlife where she wishes her mother goodbye.
Although Preacher’s Daughter is dark and disturbing, it is exceptional. Anhedönia is able to create an album that flows perfectly, using religious themes throughout, and makes you feel both uncomfortable and understood. Wonderfully produced and amazingly written, Preacher’s Daughter is an absolute must-listen.
It’s safe to say we are looking forward to the continuation of Ethel Cain’s story and, by the looks of it, we are in for another dark album. Get excited for Hayden Silas Anhedönia’s new music!
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