Ethel Cain
Cain grew up in Taylor County, Florida. Born to a Southern Baptist family, her dad was a deacon and she was involved in choir from a young age. She left the church at the age of 16 after coming out as gay to her family at the age of 12. At her 20th birthday she publicly came out as a transgender woman. Cain finds inspiration from gospel music, country music, classic rock and alternative music. In 2017, while considering enrolling in the Florida State University film school, Cain began experimenting with creating reverb-heavy choral inspired music on GarageBand. From 2017 to 2018, she released her works to a small following of friends and followers on Twitter and Instagram, under the names White Silas and Atlas. In 2019, following the release of her debut single as Ethel Cain, titled 'Bruises', she connected with artist Nicole Dollanganger through social media, opening for Dollanganger on the artist's 'Heart Shaped Bed' tour in Chicago. In September 2019, she released a small collection of songs titled "Carpet Bed", her first extended play under the Cain moniker. In December 2019, after the release of her "Golden Age" EP, she was backed by artist Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, who praised Cain for her "mature songwriting and understanding of melody". In January 2020, after recommendation from Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Cain was discovered by rapper Lil Aaron. While headlining a show with Edith Underground and Lil Bo Weep in Los Angeles, Cain was invited by Aaron to meet with the publishing company Prescription Songs and signed with them soon after. In August 2020, Cain moved from Florida into a refurbished church outside of Richmond, Indiana, where she would finish recording her first EP with Prescription Songs titled "Inbred". In February 2021, Cain released her first single under the new publishing contract, titled "Michelle Pfeiffer" featuring Lil Aaron. The song was premiered on Paper and featured on "Pitchfork", "Billboard", "Nylon", and "The Fader". A second single, "Crush", followed on March 18, and a third, "Unpunishable", premiered on Apple Music Radio 1 with Zane Lowe on April 15, 2021. "Inbred" was released on April 23, 2021. The EP explores Americana, ambient-folk and slowcore. On March 17, 2022, Cain released the single "Gibson Girl", subsequently announcing her debut album "Preacher's Daughter", released May 12, 2022. The album was released via her own Daughters of Cain label and features thirteen songs.
Career
In mid 2017, Cain began experimenting with writing, recording, and producing her own ethereal style Gregorian chant inspired music.