it's so weird for me to think about the idea of bidding ethel cain farewell. her story may be over but a piece of her will always be nestled deeply and safely in my heart.
i don't remember what my life was like exactly when i discovered preacher's daughter for the first time. all i can remember is the overwhelming and immediate love i had for the album and crying in the dark in my bedroom the first time i listened to it fully.
i can't really imagine either where i would be as a person today if i hadn't found hayden's music. it has shaped not only every part of my personal life and tastes (every book, movie, album or show i consume now is an attempt to chase the high that her music gives me or to find something that gives me the same bittersweet and grounding experience) but also my creative and academic life. i was a struggling creative doing a master's degree in something i worried i wasn't fully equipped to take on. but in finding preacher's daughter, i unlocked a whole new side of my creativity that i never knew was there. ideas came to me more easily and the results were even more exciting. i have no idea what kind of person i would be now if i hadn't started listening to preacher's daughter that day.
i am so grateful to live in a time where despite physical distance, such an amazing artist is still so accessible to me and is able to touch my heart in my tiny corner of the world. for some it may be 'just music' but the story of ethel cain will leave a mark on me forever and has shaped who i am.
goodbye ethel cain and willoughby tucker. i'll always love you both and i will always think of you fondly. i can't wait to see what happens next!
