June is almost over and that means the end of pride month. In honor of this month, I wanted to highlight my favorite LGBTQIA+ artist of all time, Ethel Cain.
Over the course of four years, Hayden Anhedönia, known by her stage name, Ethel Cain, crafted one of my favorite albums of all time, “Preacher’s Daughter.” Anhedönia is a trans artist from Tallahassee, Florida, who grew up Southern Baptist and struggled with the conservative atmosphere of her surroundings. The struggle of feeling alienated because of her identity followed her throughout her life and is reflected in her music.
Anhedönia released her EP “Golden Age” in 2019 under the stage name Ethel Cain. In 2021, she released her second EP, “Inbred.” Throughout both of these EPs, Anhedönia discusses themes of religious trauma and living in the deep south. Amidst these releases, Anhedönia gained popularity with her single “Crush” from “Inbred.” The song is wildly different from her previous releases as it is more of a pop song than her usual alternative style. Recently, Anhedönia talked about her fear of making pop music to Interview Magazine, explaining how once you make pop music, your other genres won't be taken as seriously, but that she has worked through this fear to make the music she wants.
In 2022, she released her debut LP, “Preacher’s Daughter.” The album contains 13 songs with two instrumentals and follows the life and death of a character, appropriately named, Ethel Cain. The album is vastly story driven and provides an intimate insight into the fictional Cain’s relationships and struggles.
I’ve listened to this album countless times and I’m almost obsessively knowledgeable about the lore and story. I want to avoid album spoilers as much as possible so everyone can go into the album blind and experience it freely. However, when listening to this album, I recommend having the lyrics pulled up to follow the story and the haunting lyrics of each song.
It’s almost impossible for me to choose favorites since every song is a masterpiece. However, if I had to choose “Thoroughfare,” “Hard Times” and “Strangers” are my top three. “Thoroughfare” is a fantastic love song that is both heart-warming and foreboding.
“Hard Times” follows Cain as she recounts the sexual abuse she endured in her childhood. It’s a devastating song and it handles the topic from the perspective of the abuse coming from someone you love. “Strangers” is a ghostly ballad of Cain reflecting on what has happened to her through various events of her life. It’s the closing song of the album and in my opinion, provides a wonderful conclusion to this masterful album.
One of my favorite features of “Preacher's Daughter” is its ability to be interpreted in a multitude of ways. While the album does follow an established story, the songs are so universal and multifaceted that a lot of interpretations fit quite well.
I’m very fond of queer theory and this album is a perfect medium to look at through this lens. Queer theory is, in simplistic terms, the act of exploring themes of sexuality and gender in different types of media. I always catch myself applying queer theory in a lot of the media I consume and “Preacher's Daughter” was no exception. Songs like “Family Tree” can be interpreted as a queer person deconstructing religious trauma that was instilled in them as a child. Lyrics like “These crosses all over my body / Remind me of who I used to be” have clear religious themes that fit nicely into this queer interpretation.
This album and Anhedönia herself hold a special place in my heart. I actively consume all of her music and social media posts. The beauty and aesthetics that she implements in her work are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Her Tumblr and Instagram perfectly encapsulate the old southern gothic aesthetic that is both atmospheric and nostalgic. “Golden Age,” “Inbred” and “Preacher’s Daughter” are all beautiful collections of music that I would encourage everyone to listen to.
In the midst of the slew of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, I encourage everyone to check out this Google doc of resources put together by ethelsource, an Ethel Cain fan account. The doc contains information, GoFundMes and mutual aid funds for LGBTQIA+ people.
Haylee Leasure is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk about the column? Email Haylee at hl125421@ohio.edu.
