Ethel Cain
Hayden Silas Anhedönia, known professionally as Ethel Cain, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and model. She became known for her ambient and Southern Gothic-style music and lyrics. She began releasing recordings under various aliases, before releasing multiple extended plays including Inbred which garnered various singles including "Crush".
Anhedönia released her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter to acclaim from critics and garnered a cult following. After a vinyl release in 2025, the album debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 chart, making Anhedönia the first transgender artist to reach the top ten. She released the studio recording Perverts, which saw her experimenting with drone music. Later that year, she released her second studio album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You which served as a lyrical prequel to her debut album.
Early life
Hayden Silas Anhedönia was born on March 24, 1998, in Tallahassee, Florida, and raised in Perry. She is the eldest of four children in a Southern Baptist family. Her father was a deacon, and she was involved in the church choir from a young age, like her mother. At age 8, Anhedönia began studying classical piano, with musical influences from a variety of Christian music, as well as Florence Welch, who served as Anhedönia's inspiration as she wrote her first album as a teenager. The church was Anhedönia's first exposure to music: "My whole life was always singing, always, always music all the time", she said. She left the church at the age of 16. Anhedönia was homeschooled.Career
2017–2021: Career beginnings and EPs
Anhedönia officially started making music in 2017, experimenting with "dreamy bedroom pop demos" under different monikers. As White Silas, she first published Gregorian chant-inspired singles and mixtapes to SoundCloud and Tumblr, the latter now having been deactivated and no longer associated with the artist. In 2019, Anhedönia started recording music as Ethel Cain, which became her current main project. For the new moniker, she thought of a "womanly, matronly, old American name", while also taking inspiration from the biblical figure of Cain. Her first extended play as Ethel Cain, Carpet Bed, consisted of four songs and was released on September 13, 2019. Months later, she released her second EP, Golden Age, on December 1. After the latter's release, she was backed by the artist Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, who praised her for her "mature songwriting and understanding of melody". In January 2020, after recommendation from Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Anhedönia was discovered by the rapper Lil Aaron while headlining a show with Edith Underground, Girlfiend, and Lil Bo Weep in Los Angeles. She was then invited by him to meet with the publishing company Prescription Songs and signed with them soon after.In February 2021, Anhedönia released her debut single as Ethel Cain while under the new publishing contract, "Michelle Pfeiffer", which featured Lil Aaron. The song was described by Billboard as alternative rock, folk, pop and "even country". Her second single, "Crush", followed on March 18 and received a music video on August 3. The two singles were part of her third EP, Inbred, which was released on April 23. The ambient-folk and slowcore EP was named by Pitchfork as one of The 49 Most Anticipated Albums of Spring 2021 and received a score of 7.6 out of 10 by the website. Later on August 24, a stripped version of "Crush" was also published. On March 8, 2022, she released a cover of the song "Everytime" by Britney Spears as part of Spotify Singles, in observance of International Women's Day.
2022–2024: Breakthrough with ''Preacher's Daughter''
On March 17, 2022, Anhedönia released the single "Gibson Girl" and subsequently announced her debut album, titled Preacher's Daughter and released on May 12, 2022, through her own record label, Daughters of Cain. A concept album that creates a narrative "centered around the character Ethel Cain", it received a positive reception from music critics and was named one of the best albums of the year. It was also preceded by the release of the singles "Strangers" on April 7 and "American Teenager" on April 21, the latter receiving a music video on July 21. In support of the album, Anhedönia embarked on the Freezer Bride Tour in 2022 and the Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023. She was also an opening act at one concert of Florence and the Machine's Dance Fever Tour and Caroline Polachek's Spiraling Tour.Anhedönia performed at the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. On June 3, 2023, Anhedönia fainted on stage while performing at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, as part of Vivid Live, resulting in the show's cancellation. She returned to performing the next day. She also performed at Reading Festival and Gunnersbury Park with Boygenius and Muna in August 2023. On December 5, 2023, Anhedönia announced the Childish Behaviour Tour, an eight-show tour that began on June 3, 2024 and was slated to end on June 27, 2024. After sharing the song on SoundCloud a year before, on July 21, 2023, she released "Famous Last Words ", inspired by Luca Guadagnino's film Bones and All, along with 1017 ALYX 9SM. With a "darkly poignant" music video, it was included in the project's first compilation album. In that year, Anhedönia appeared as a guest vocalist on the songs "Dying Star" by Ashnikko and "222" by Angel Diaz from the albums Weedkiller and Unbecoming, respectively.
Anhedönia placed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 2024 for Music. She opened for Mitski's 2024 concert tour in support of her album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. On February 14, 2024, she released a song titled "من النهر”, which she described as a "prayer" for Palestinians. On September 5, 2024, Anhedönia released a cover of the track "For Sure", which appeared on American Football: Covers, a cover album by the American emo band American Football in tribute to their 1999 record of the same name. Days later, they performed the track together at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
2025–present: ''Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You''
On January 8, 2025, Anhedönia released the studio recording Perverts. An experimental drone project, it was preceded by the release of the lead single, "Punish". Anhedönia stated that she decided to release it since she liked the genre and wanted to make drone music of her own. In April 2025, Preacher's Daughter received a vinyl release, which caused it to debut on various charts worldwide, including the US Billboard 200 at number ten, marking her first entry on the chart. The album also debuted atop Billboards Top Album Sales chart.Anhedönia's second studio album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, was released on August 8, 2025. The album was preceded by the singles "Nettles", and "Fuck Me Eyes". The album serves as a prequel to Preacher's Daughter and accompanied by the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour.
Artistry
Anhedönia's musical style has been classified as indie rock, gothic, contemporary folk, alternative pop, slowcore, Americana, and ambient. She also finds inspiration from gospel music, country music, classic rock, and alternative music. After Anhedönia gained popularity with her single "Crush" from her EP Inbred, this song being more pop-oriented than her usual alternative style, she talked about her "fear" of making pop music, saying that "once you make pop music, your other genres won't be taken as seriously", but "she has worked to make the music she wants." Anhedönia plans to release a book surrounding the story of her album Preacher's Daughter alongside a film once her trilogy albums are released.Music critics have praised the "cinematography" in her songs, due to Anhedönia's interest in movies and building songs with scenes and characters. According to BroadwayWorld, Anhedönia musically combines "elements of rock, country and cinematic nostalgia" paired with "ethereal vocals and raw lyrics to create her unique sound". Her early musical influences included Karen Carpenter, the Steve Miller Band, and a variety of Christian music. As a teenager, Anhedönia covered several songs by Lana Del Rey whom she has named as one of her “favorite artists”. Anhedönia has named Florence Welch, lead vocalist of the band Florence and the Machine, as her "teen idol".
Personal life
Sexuality and identity
Anhedönia came out as gay to her family at the age of 12, and on her 20th birthday, she publicly came out as a trans woman: "As I got older, I found out there were other options", she said. Reflecting on this, she recalled: "It was made clear to everyone that I was not like other people. Whenever I started to develop, I started to come into my own as a trans woman. We were a house divided—it was me versus my whole town." The singer later identified herself as a bisexual woman.She is autistic, which she learned upon seeking a diagnosis in her adulthood. Reflecting on how being autistic has impacted her artistry, she has stated:
Religious beliefs
Reflecting on her religious upbringing in a 2021 interview, Anhedönia said that she still considered herself a Southern Baptist: "Whether I like it or not, God always has and always will be a huge part of my life. Whether he's being used as a comforting figure or a threat, I've always been surrounded by it. It's not really something you can walk away from. And I'd rather just sit with it than be like 'Fuck the church!In an interview for Rolling Stone in August 2023, she revealed that all of her family have since left the church, though she clarified they are still religious in some ways. She elaborated in a Tumblr post in 2022 that she does not consider herself a Christian, nor as someone who cares about religion. However, she "still abides by the values was raised on", such as kindness, graciousness, and loving her neighbor.