Ethel Cain

Hayden Silas Anhedönia, known professionally as Ethel Cain, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and model. Born on March 24, 1998, in Tallahassee, Florida, she was raised in Perry, Florida, in a Southern Baptist family. Her father was a deacon, and she sang in the church choir from a young age alongside her mother. Homeschooled as a child, Anhedönia began studying classical piano at age eight and was exposed to Christian music before leaving the church at age sixteen.

Anhedönia began making music in 2017, publishing early projects under monikers such as White Silas. In 2019, she adopted the stage name Ethel Cain, drawing inspiration from a matronly American name and the biblical figure Cain. She released her initial extended plays, Carpet Bed and Golden Age, later that year. After gaining support from Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, she was introduced to rapper Lil Aaron and signed with Prescription Songs. Under her new contract, Cain released her debut single "Michelle Pfeiffer" featuring Lil Aaron in February 2021, followed by the single "Crush" and her EP Inbred.

In May 2022, Cain released her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter, through her label Daughters of Cain. A narrative concept album centered on the character Ethel Cain, it was supported by the singles "Gibson Girl", "Strangers", and "American Teenager". Cain promoted the record through her Freezer Bride Tour in 2022 and Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023, while opening for acts such as Florence and the Machine, Caroline Polachek, and Mitski. Her live performances included appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Reading Festival, alongside her 2024 Childish Behaviour Tour.

Cain expanded her work through several individual projects and collaborations. She released "Famous Last Words (An Ode to Eaters)" in 2023, contributed guest vocals to tracks by Ashnikko and Angel Diaz, and covered American Football's song "For Sure". In 2024, she released the track "من النهر" and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for music.

In January 2025, Cain released Perverts, an experimental studio recording exploring drone music preceded by the lead single "Punish". Following a vinyl release in April 2025, Preacher's Daughter debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 chart and topped the Top Album Sales chart, making Cain the first openly transgender artist to reach the top ten of the Billboard 200. She released her second studio album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, in August 2025 as a lyrical prequel to her debut, embarking on the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour in support.

Cain's musical style incorporates indie rock, gothic, contemporary folk, alternative pop, slowcore, Americana, and ambient music. In addition to music, Cain has engaged in modeling campaigns for brands including Givenchy, Miu Miu, and Marc Jacobs, debuted at New York Fashion Week for Eckhaus Latta, and signed with IMG Models in February 2025. In her personal life, Cain publicly came out as a trans woman on her twentieth birthday, later identified as a bisexual woman, and learned she was autistic upon seeking an adult diagnosis.