One of the most eclectic and exciting artists the festival has to offer.
Words: Abigail Firth.
Photos: Patrick Gunning.
Opening a festival set with a seven-minute-long song is a brave move, but Ethel Cain is the kind of artist whose fans are devoted enough to endure every minute. These are the kind of slow-burning sprawling numbers that made her debut album ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ so special, and the ones that make up most of her Festival Republic stage set today.
Peaking early with ‘American Teenager’ second up, she’s also quickly in the crowd for a walk of the front row, who of course end up crying in her arms. For a half-hour set, it only comprises of five songs, each one making a different impression. “This one’s a little yeehaw”, she notes before ‘Thoroughfare’, already a stark contrast from the indie pop of ‘American Teenager’ and wailing emotional ballad ‘A House In Nebraska’. But ending on her first hit ‘Crush’, she’s back to the bangers, and solidifying her place as one of the most eclectic and exciting artists the festival has to offer.
