Elephant's Graveyard Tunage: Ethel Cain

Photographed by Silken Weinberg

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Friendly Hello and Introduction!

Hello hello everyone! I hope you've all had a wonderful winter break. Now that we have a fresh new semester, there's not only a month of media releases from December to cover, but I also need to stay on track with what I planned on writing anyway; woop woop!

I'm always so grateful for my friends who support my blog by reading it. I may be a little awkward about expressing my gratitude, but it's there, and the support you've shown me for my writing means the world to me. I thought about it over break, but after this semester ends, I decided I'm going to make a substack and begin blogging regularly in and out of the semester :-)

Anyway! Onto more important things, many daughters of Cain, like myself, were overwhelmingly excited for the release of her new album, Perverts (2025), in January, and I'd love to delve into my appreciation for Hayden Anhedönia, her artistic process, the album itself, and share some of the photography that has been released. All Photography shown within the header and beyond is done by Silken Weinberg.

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Who is Hayden "Ethel Cain" Anhedönia?

Photo of Ethel Cain from Coup De Main 2022 Article

26-year-old Hayden Anhedönia is from Tallahassee, Florida, and since 2019, has rapidly gained a cult following. Growing up Southern Baptist and daughter to a church deacon, religion and her experience within the church have massively influenced her writing and storytelling through music, and she has been singing in church since she was a child.

"Ethel Cain" is a stage name/persona/character that Hayden had created and is the girl's perspective we hear from in Preacher's Daughter (2022). Hayden has been posting on Tumblr about the process and creation of her new release, Perverts (2025).

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Notable Ethel Cain Discography

I do want to preface that this is not all of her work! Hayden has been creating and publishing more music than is represented here; these are just the pieces I enjoy and the recent releases!

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Carpet Bed (2019)

Carpet Bed (2019) (EP) by Ethel Cain

Golden Age (2019) by Ethel Cain

Inbred (2021) by Ethel Cain

Preacher's Daughter (2022) by Ethel Cain

For Sure (2024) by American Football & Ethel Cain

Perverts (2025) By Ethel Cain

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Golden Age (2019)

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Inbred (2021)

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Preacher's Daughter (2022)

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For Sure (2024)

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Perverts (2024)

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My Thoughts on Perverts & Ethel Cain

I cannot give the full extent of my thoughts on this album and its creation, primarily because of possible content that shouldn't be published here. Her album grapples with a sexual-connectivity-security-personhood experience that I feel many individuals experience in their lives in some form or another. I loved the message, her motivations for creating this album, and reading Hayden's responses to questions about the album on Tumblr. I fully encourage everyone to listen to this album and look into the lyrics, as well as what Hayden herself has to say about it.

Perverts Tracklist on Instagram @mothercain

I would say that my music taste has some relative variety. I'm not super cemented into a few select genres, and I can appreciate it when artists try to go down a different artistic route--not to sound holier than thou. Hayden had mentioned prior to the release that Perverts would not be like her sensational hit Preacher's Daughter, and it was going back to her ambient routes of music production. Undoubtedly, Hayden herself is a phenomenal singer and story writer. But she is, I think, overlooked as a composer and musician by the way she creates her music and the creative ways she pieces her songs together.

Her work is appreciated through the same lens that I appreciate Kristin Hayter's work (Lingua Ignota, Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter.) and their dedication to their craft. It's beautiful, inspiring, and motivating. As an artist myself who's been relatively out of touch, I find it difficult to find art that genuinely motivates me to create, and the kind of work that Hayden has done has inspired me greatly.

Ethel Cain photographed by Silken Weinberg.

I loved the religious motif added with a drone ambiance; I grew up with religion being a strong presence in my family. While I'm not a Southern Baptist, Perverts pushes on a soft spot of mine. On the one hand, in relation to self-identity, sexuality, connectivity, and personhood, it was soothing and beautifully calming; it licked the wounds of an unhealthy religious experience. On another, it was as if the music was an aphrodisiac; it felt intimate and raw to listen to. My favorite songs from this album were "Onanist", "Pulldrone", "Perverts", and "Etienne".

Many people have said that they've interpreted this album as very scary or uncomfortable to listen to. To which I say, I understand how someone could feel scared or uneasy when listening to this. However, I think everyone is allowed to have their interpretation of this album; it's been stated that the intention wasn't to "scare" people. A lot of people are drowning out the message and intention of Perverts. They are trying to make light of their uncomfortability by responding ironically and not trying to take the art seriously.

Ethel Cain photographed by Silken Weinberg.

Hayden has spoken about this cultural irony epidemic we see in response to various media. People are coping with the uncomfortability of sincerity, and it's sad to see her album was not immune to that. On a brighter note, she has received a wide range of support and praise for her work and has been very successful! Plenty of people do appreciate her work and love to see what she has put out.

After all of this unorganized rambling, I'll show some of the artwork created alongside the album!

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Perverts Photography

Everything displayed here is not my own! It was all found on Ethel Cain's social media @mothercain.

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Additional Comments

Getting some of my thoughts out on the new album was delightful! I'm super grateful for everyone who reads through and messages me after or tells me in person; it means the world to me! My next three blog posts will be about the movie Nosferatu (2024), David Lynch, and Cecilia Condit. I was debating writing about David Lynch now. However, I thought that rewatching some of his work and reviewing it, as well as going through some interviews, would be a good idea so that I could pay some respectable homage to him.

Thank you everyone! Stay warm :3