1

Hayden Silas Anhedönia (born March 24, 1998), known professionally as Ethel Cain, is an American singer-songwriter, multidisciplinary artist, and model born in Tallahassee, Florida. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.In mid-2017, Cain began experimenting with writing, recording, and producing her own ethereal style, inspired by Christian music and Gregorian chants. She released multiple mixtapes and EPs on streaming platforms under various aliases, as well as to sites like SoundCloud and Tumblr, before adopting a more alternative sound and officially starting the Ethel Cain project in mid-2019. Cain's lyrics focus on nostalgic and Southern Gothic themes, such as poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, death, and transgenerational trauma. Her music has been associated with the ambient, alternative rock, and dream pop genres.In 2022, Cain released her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter, to widespread acclaim from music critics—many of whom called it one of the best albums of the year. Following its release, Cain garnered a cult following online.