Ethel Cain creates new storylines to unpack in this prequel to her debut album, “Preacher’s Daughter.”
The 2022 conceptual album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” received praise for its unique storytelling and southern gothic aesthetics. Throughout the album, Hayden Anhedönia tells the story of Ethel Cain, which is also used as the artist’s stage name.
Her newest album, released on August 8, serves as a prequel to the Ethel Cain story seen in “Preacher’s Daughter.” The album primarily focuses on Cain’s relationship with Willoughby Tucker.
Who is Willoughby Tucker?
The character of Willoughby Tucker is Cain’s high school boyfriend who serves as the focal point of the song “A House In Nebraska” from “Preacher’s Daughter.”
The song describes how the two would spend time in an abandoned house on the outskirts of town and pretend that they were living in a house in Nebraska together. The relationship’s end is detailed some of the lyrics:
“You were my whole world
But then the day came
And you were up and gone”
“It hurts to miss you
But it’s worse to know
That I’m the reason you won’t come home.”
These lyrics leave the listener wondering what really happened between the couple and why Tucker left town.
Recap of ‘Preacher’s Daughter’
Before getting into the newest lore introduced on “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You,” let’s recap what we learned from “Preacher’s Daughter.”
Trigger warning: Anhedönia’s work contains sensitive themes such as child abuse, domestic abuse, and sexual violence.
Ethel Cain grew up in Shady Grove, Alabama, as the daughter of the preacher. Tracks like “Family Tree” and “Hard Times” touch on her religious and family trauma. The lyrics “I was too young to notice / That some types of love could be bad,” from “Hard Times,” hint at the abuse that occurred between Cain and her father.
The theme of violence and abuse continues when Cain begins dating a man named Logan, who’s later killed while robbing a bank (“Western Nights“). Cain leaves town, where she meets her new lover, Isaiah Abram, in Texas (“Thoroughfare”). Things take a turn when Abram forces Cain into sex work and drugs in “Gibson Girl.”
Climax of “Preacher’s Daughter”
The nightmarish climax of the album “Ptolemaea” represents Cain’s murder. The song takes its name from a section of Dante’s Inferno meant for betrayers. The creepy and chaotic track features Cain’s screams and ends with a barely audible sermon-like reading. Anhedönia uses biblical references to perpetuate the theme of generational sin and violence. This is emphasized with the lyrics “blessed be the daughters of Cain / bound to suffering through the sins of their fathers.”
“Sun Bleached Flies” is a ballad that contrasts the harsh sounds from “Ptolemaea” and “August Underground.” In this song, Cain reflects on her relationship with religion and makes peace with her life. It eventually ends with a reference back to Willoughby Tucker and that she’s “still praying for that house in Nebraska.”
The last track, “Strangers,” serves as a powerful ending to the album. We learn that Abrams has cannibalized Cain, as hinted in the lyrics “If I’m turning in your stomach and I’m making you feel sick” and “you look so handsome when I’m all over your mouth.” The final lyric of the album is a message to her mother that “I’ll see you when you get here.” Anhedönia has intentions to write another album titled “Preacher’s Wife” that would provide more insight into Cain’s mother in the future.
New characters in the Ethel Cain universe
Janie
The very first track on the new album introduces us to “Janie.” Anhedönia provided verified annotations to Genius lyrics, which gives us insight into who this new character is.
Janie is Cain’s only close friend, but their friendship is on the rocks when Janie gets her first boyfriend. Cain pleads with both Janie and her boyfriend to keep the friendship alive. “Please leave open your most quiet door, I know she’s your girl now, but she was my girl first.”
Part of the album’s title, “I will always love you,” is repeated in the song. Interestingly, it’s not about Willoughby Tucker, but about her best friend. This is our first glimpse into how love and loss are overarching themes in Cain’s life, not just with her romantic relationships.
Holly Reddick
The third track, “F**ck Me Eyes,” focuses on Cain’s classmate Holly Reddick. Anhedönia stated the song, “is meant to be an ode to the girls who are perfect and have everything, yet carry the reputation of town slut.” “The beautiful blonde who is just lonely and wants to be loved,” she continued, “that all the adults condemn to each other, who ultimately is the girl everyone simultaneously can’t stand and wants to be.”
Cain has mixed feelings towards Reddick as she believes that Reddick may have caught Tucker’s eye. The track feels like a prequel to “Gibson Girl.” It’s eerily foretelling to the experiences that Cain herself will face in the future.
Willoughby’s father
Throughout the album, details about Tucker’s relationship with his father are slowly revealed. The lyrics “that picture on the wall that you’re scared of looks just like you,” featured in “Nettles,” hint at an abusive relationship.
In “Dust Bowl,” we discover that Tucker’s father is a Vietnam War veteran who uses drugs to cope. Cain calls Tucker’s father “Satan” in the first line of “A Knock At The Door.” Tucker’s father is sent to the state penitentiary, haunting Tucker with the fear that he will repeat history.
Ethel and Willoughby’s relationship
“Nettles” is used to describe both Cain’s dreams and fears about her relationship with Tucker after he is injured in a factory accident. “You’ll go fight in a war, I’ll go missing,” are lyrics that both signify their expected roles and also hint at Cain’s future. The title of “Nettles” describes how Cain feels about herself as explained in the lyrics, “to love me is to suffer me.”
“Dust Bowl” is Cain’s realization that Tucker isn’t as perfect as the version of him that exists in her head. It also includes the first mention of Tucker’s fear of the weather. The song, “Tempest,” revisits this fear and is the only track that is from Tucker’s point of view.
As a tornado approaches, Tucker feels abandoned by Cain. He feels that she can’t see past the idealized version of him to know that he needs her. This echoes the abandonment he felt from his mother. The song is ambiguous as to whether Tucker survives the storm or not.
Running 15 minutes, the album closes out with its longest song, “Waco, Texas.” Cain reflects on her relationship and the trials of real life that tore them apart. “I’ve been picking names for our children / You’ve been wondering how you’re gonna feed them / Love is not enough in this world.”
The album ends with the melancholic lyrics, “I can wait if I want / But it’ll never be good enough like I want to believe it is.” The ending leads us back to the Ethel Cain from “Preacher’s Daughter” who views herself to be cursed and in mourning for her great love story.
What’s next for Ethel Cain?
Anhedönia is open to creating projects both outside and within the “Ethel Cain universe.” For example, her experimental drone album, “Perverts.” She still has plans to create a trilogy out of “Preacher’s Daughter,” with future projects including “Mother of a Preacher” and the aforementioned “Preacher’s Wife.”
Anhedönia was once very active on Tumblr, where she posted tidbits about the Cain lore and her future projects. The account has since been deleted, but her dedicated fans have populated most of the information onto her Wiki Fandom page.
There are no set dates for when these future projects will be close to finished. Until then, fans will rely on the crumbs that Anhedönia provides through her social media and eagerly await more of the artist’s intricate storytelling.
