Inbred (EP)

Since 2017, the singer began releasing demos of songs under different monikers, such as White Silas, a name under which she had released five projects on streaming platforms: Colossus (2017), Arcane Vessels (2018), Sad Music for Sad People (2018), Nightmares (2018) and Mourning After (2019), the latter two being in collaboration with musician Little Triste.

In 2019, she released her first two extended plays under the stage name Ethel Cain: Carpet Bed and Golden Age, in September and December respectively.^[2] Following those releases, Cain began collaborating with Lil Aaron and signed with Prescription Songs.^[3] In February 2021, Cain released her first single under the new publishing contract, titled "Michelle Pfeiffer" featuring Lil Aaron.^[4] The song was premiered in Paper and featured on Billboard,^[5] The Fader,^[6] Nylon,^[7] and Pitchfork.^[8] The second single from the EP, titled "Crush", was released on March 18.^[9] A music video for the song was published in August.^[10]

Arielle Gordon, writing for Pitchfork, gave this release a 7.6 out of 10, for adding "nuance and depth to both her sound and her character"; this album builds upon the mythology of the Ethel Cain pseudonym as well as adds new sounds to her musical repertoire.^[11]