Hayden Anhedönia, the visionary artist known as Ethel Cain, is set to delve deeper into her intricate, Southern Gothic narrative with the release of her second studio album, “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You.” Scheduled for release on August 8, 2025, the album serves as a direct prequel to her critically acclaimed 2022 debut, “Preacher’s Daughter,” offering fans a poignant look into the formative years of her tragic protagonist.
The album centers on the character of Willoughby Tucker, Ethel Cain’s first and only true love, a figure first introduced in the haunting track “A House in Nebraska.” The new record transports listeners back to 1986, five years before the grim events of “Preacher’s Daughter,” to explore the teenage romance that defined Cain’s early life in the fictional town of Shady Grove, Alabama. According to lore detailed by fans, Willoughby and Ethel reconnected as teenagers after meeting as children at the local Baptist church where her father preached. Their relationship, a central theme of the album, is a story of youthful love, shared trauma from abusive upbringings, and a desperate longing to escape to an idealized life symbolized by a house in Nebraska.
Musically, “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You” continues Anhedönia’s exploration of atmospheric and genre-blending soundscapes. Critics have described the album’s sound as a mix of Americana, slowcore, and folk. In a review for Pitchfork, Olivia Horn noted the album’s tendency toward “sludgy slowcore and dusty, sepia-toned folk,” creating an immersive ambiance that prioritizes mood over linear plot. The album spans 10 tracks and runs for a total of 73 minutes, featuring sprawling compositions such as the 10-minute “Tempest” and the 15-minute closer, “Waco, Texas.”
The album’s rollout was preceded by two singles. The lead single, “Nettles,” released on June 4, 2025, is a slice of pastoral folk that captures the uneasy coexistence of beauty and torment in Cain’s world. It was followed by “Fuck Me Eyes” on July 2, 2025, a track that stands out with its ’80s synth-pop production, drawing comparisons to the breakout hit “American Teenager” from her debut. Reviewers have noted this track as a more accessible entry point amidst the album’s otherwise somber and challenging sonic palette.
Critical reception for the album has been strong, highlighting Anhedönia’s prowess as a storyteller. DIY Magazine awarded the album a perfect five-star rating, calling it “one of the very best in storytelling and atmosphere” and a “deeply sombre and immeasurably powerful account of lost innocence.” While some critics like Pitchfork acknowledged that the album’s glacial pace can feel like an “endurance exercise,” they also praised its artistic depth and the raw humanity at its core.
To support the album, Cain will embark on “The Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour,” a 53-show concert series spanning North America and Europe. The tour is scheduled to begin on August 12, 2025, in Seattle and conclude on November 9, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal, with the band 9million serving as the supporting act for all dates. With “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You,” Ethel Cain not only expands her meticulously crafted universe but also solidifies her status as one of modern music’s most ambitious and compelling narrative artists.
