The Rise of Ethel Cain
Twenty-four-year-old Hayden Anhedönia describes Ethel Cain as being her alternate personality, drawing from her own personal experience of growing up in the deeply religious South to build the intricate story of Cain’s life. Her early sounds were similar to the idyllic Christian hymns she grew up with, and as she continued experimenting with her sound, the aesthetic and persona of her music shifted drastically; with an eye-catching title, Cain explores the gothic, forbidden subjects of incest and murder in her second EP Inbred. One of Hayden’s best lyrics within Inbred is her confession: “I’m not scared of God, I'm scared he was gone all along”. With her music appearing to be influenced by religion, this dark turn was monumental, leading to her first album release, Preacher’s Daughter. Hayden’s music is heavily anecdotal, often relating to her own personal experiences and infused with gothic themes. This gothic-horror style allows her to intensify the themes and events Ethel is subjected to. Inbred gives us a glimpse into the life of Ethel, serving as an introduction to Cain’s life, struck by tragedies such as incest, abusive relationships, and generational trauma. Preacher’s Daughter recounts the story of Ethel Cain from beginning to end, chronicling her relationship with god, the man she loves, and the lasting effects of generational trauma. She begins the album with “Family Tree (Intro)”, establishing these themes of generational and religious trauma with the lyrics:
“Jesus can always reject his father
But he cannot escape his mother’s blood
He’ll scream and try to wash it off his fingers
But he’ll never escape what he’s made up of…”
“A House In Nebraska” is the third song on the album, with Ethel recounting what appears to be a fond memory, looking back upon her relationship that she escaped to from the confines of her religious family. The yearning that can be felt within Ethel’s voice nods to her lack of awareness - or acceptance - in this deeply toxic dynamic. As the album progresses with both ethereal and uncanny sounds, Ethel’s many trials are revealed; abuse, kidnapping, drug addictions, prostitution, and finally, her murder and cannibalization at the hands of the man she loved. The second-to-last song, “Sun Bleached Flies” shows listeners where Ethel’s relationship with god stood at the end of her short, torturous life: “God loves you, but not enough to save you”. Relatable or not, this illicit statement denouncing god’s actions - or lack there of - strikes the listener, leaving them to contemplate the weight of these words. Her concluding song, “Strangers” includes equally as devastating lyrics, alluding to her lover’s cannibalization of her:
“Am I no good? Am I no good?
With my memory restricted to a polaroid in evidence
I just wanted to be yours, can I be yours?
Can I be yours? Just tell me I’m yours If I’m turning in your stomach and I’m making you feel sick…
When my mother sees me on the side
Of a milk carton in Winn-Dixie’s dairy aisle
She’ll cry and wait up for me…”
“Don’t you think about it too hard or
you’ll never sleep a wink at night again
Don’t worry ‘bout these green eyes
Mama, just know that I love you
And I’ll see you when you get here”
Hayden Anhedönia, or Ethel Cain, is one of the most talented artists of this century. She brings authenticity, raw emotion, and illicit topics that evoke thoughts that we often estrange ourselves from, connecting with listeners immensely. Ethel has alluded to her next few albums, leading us to believe that each album will follow the generational trauma of Cain’s matrilineal line, from daughter to mother to grandmother. Given the work already released by Anhedönia, her future music digging deeper into the generational traumas that have already been introduced will be nothing short of hair-raising.
Sources:
https://daughtersofcain.fandom.com/wiki/Ethel_Cain
Photo 1 from @mothercain on Tumblr
Photos 2 and 3 by @briscoepark on Twitter