Somewhere between a dying church bell and the flicker of a television playing a Southern tragedy, there stands a girl in a long white dress, bathed in blood and reverence. She’s not just singing; she’s preaching, haunting, unraveling in front of our very eyes.
Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer, Ethel Cain has long been at the forefront a Southern Gothic resurgence across music and storytelling. The kind of artist who doesn’t just write songs; she builds worlds. Hers is a universe drenched in Southern humidity and spiritual decay, where the ghosts of youth, queerness, religion, and memory all linger like smoke.
Forming the Ethel Cain persona in 2019, after experimenting with alternate aliases including White Silas and Atlas, Cain (real name Hayden Anhedönia), developed her musicianship via a Southern Baptist upbringing with choir and classical piano training until she left the church aged 16.
Through a series of haunting and provocative EPs and concept albums - all released via her own label Daughters of Cain - including 2022's 'Preacher's Daughter' and it's upcoming prequel record ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’, Cain blends ambiance, Americana, folk and pop sounds with lyrics exploring personal truths, identity, sexuality, religion and trauma. Bold and independent, her immersive songwriting and authenticity have led to a growing, dedicated fanbase who resonate with her evocative and complex body of work.
Her aesthetic is deeply American, but not in a patriotic way. Not just a musician, she is a myth in motion, a Southern prophet for the queer, the broken, and the lost. In an industry obsessed with trends and instant hits, she builds slow-burning sagas and reminds us that music doesn’t have to be fast, shiny or safe. It can also be strange, uncomfortable, and unforgettable.
Her upcoming fourth album; ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’ is due for release on Friday 8 August 2025. She'll celebrate with five UK dates in London at the Eventim Apollo.
Tour dates:
Ethel Cain will visit London this October on her Willoughby Tucker Forever tour with special guests 9million.
Saturday 11 October 2025 - London Eventim Apollo
Prep for the show by listening to Ethel Cain here:
