Everything You Need to Know About Ethel Cain: America’s Favorite Preacher’s Daughter
Image Courtesy: Document
Ethel Cain, also known as Hayden Anhedönia, is defying every musical genre norm by creating her very own sound. The 24-year-old artist may be young, but she has proven herself to be incredibly talented—from the release of her EPs Carpet Bed, Golden Age, and Inbred to her knockout album Preacher’s Daughter. The singer performs under the stage name Ethel Cain, a character she feels connected to and has lived a relatively similar life to. However, her two identities—Hayden and Ethel—are separate individuals that seem to understand each other, even if one of them never even existed.
Hayden tells the story of Ethel Cain through her conceptual album, Preacher’s Daughter. She has even gone so far as to say she was possessed by Ethel on a random day in 2018 and went on to create an entire narrative surrounding her that would ultimately become Hayden’s persona. Preacher’s Daughter, tells the complex story of Ethel Cain—the not-so-perfect all-American girl—that inevitably ends in her tragic death. This is where it is important to note the differences between Ethel and Hayden, as one of them is dead. Hayden clarifies that this is the point at which her and Ethel’s paths diverge, claiming that if it weren’t for her self-growth and forgiveness, she could have suffered a similar fate. What inevitably led to Ethel’s harrowing death was growing up in the deep south in a community deeply engrained with religious ideals and the American way.
Image Courtesy: WVAU
One standout song from Preacher’s Daughter is Thoroughfare, which is the start of the second act on the album. At an astounding 9 minutes and 28 seconds, the song takes us along Ethel’s journey as a young runaway on the road with a man by the name of Isaiah. Through Hayden’s powerful lyrics and captivating voice, the listener can practically feel the vast range of emotions that ethel experiences on her journey out west with the man she met “Texas somewhere on the thoroughfare”. The two inevitably end up falling for one another, all the while Ethel is proclaimed missing. The song, just like the rest of the album, gives insight into just how complex Ethel Cain’s story really is. It is unclear whether this experience is shared between Hayden and Ethel, but there is obviously an emotional tie between the two that makes this song all the more mesmerizing.
Image Courtesy: Lyrique Discorde
Aside from Ethel Cain, Hayden lives an incredibly interesting life and devotes the majority of her time to making and producing music, being outdoors, and spending time with friends. Another impressive feat she has accomplished is creating her own record label, Daughter of Cain, from which two of her EPs and her debut album are produced. There aren’t many artists, especially of Hayden’s age, who can say they own their sound and songs—a rarity for any musician.
Hayden has said countless times that she has always felt inspired to create music because of artists like Florence Welch from Florence + The Machine. In a rather full circle moment, she recently performed the song Morning Elvis live with Florence at her show in Denver, Colorado. Florence Welch has not only acknowledged how talented Hayden is, but she has also given her the opportunity to perform with her as talented equals. The duet was breathtaking and captivating; the two complimented each other’s voices to create an entirely unique rendition of Morning Elvis.
Hayden Anhedönia, also known as @MotherCain on Instagram, is on the rise and is already a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Strike Out,
Writer: Carly Woollard
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
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