Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImageMusicNewsEthel Cain regrets signing to Dr Luke’s label‘I was broke. I didn’t do a lot of digging until way further down the line’ShareLink copied ✔️August 31, 2023MusicNewsTextHalima Jibril Ethel Cain is one of the most exciting artists to emerge in the last few years. The Baptist-raised alt-pop star initially gained popularity through posting her songs on Tumblr and SoundCloud, but now, she has entered the mainstream. With all her newfound attention comes newfound scrutiny. In 2020, Cain signed to Prescription Songs, a music publishing and licensing label owned by Dr Luke, the producer Kesha accused of rape, psychological torment and emotional abuse in a lawsuit she filed in 2014. Since the news went public, discourse has ensued about Cain’s ties to Dr. Luke – and her fans have demanded answers. In her latest interview with Rolling Stone, Cain comes clean about it all. “I was broke,” Cain explained to Rolling Stone. “I didn’t do a lot of digging until way further down the line… I was literally going to the hospital because I was malnourished, and I was passing out all the time. My landlord was sending me angry texts every day because I was behind on rent. I was like, ‘I need money,’ and I signed.” Cain maintains that she wasn’t fully aware that Dr Luke ran Prescription, but if she could go and work with someone else, she would: “If I had my choice, I would much prefer to do business with somebody else. I’ll just say that.” While fans are not entirely convinced that she didn’t know that Dr Luke owned the publishing company she signed with, Cain stressed that she just wants to focus on finishing her next few releases to fulfil her contract. “We’re almost out,” Cain told Rolling Stone. While she is still under her contract with Prescription, Cain asserts that she is in complete control of the creative process, with Dr Luke not being credited on any of her songs. Join Dazed Club and be part of our world! You get exclusive access to events, parties, festivals and our editors, as well as a free subscription to Dazed for a year. Join for £5/month today. Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREBehind-the-scenes at Oklou and FKA twigs’ new video shootBjörk calls for the release of musician ‘kidnapped’ by Israeli authoritiesZimmermannKindred spirits and psychedelic florals: Zimmermann heads to 70s Sydney ‘Her dumbest album yet’: Are Swifties turning on Taylor Swift?IB Kamara on branching out into musicEnter the K-Bass: How SCR revolutionised Korean club culture‘Comic Con meets underground rap’: Photos from Eastern Margins’ day festWho are H.LLS? Get to know London’s anonymous alt-R&B trioTaylor Swift has lost her grip with The Life of a Showgirl ‘Cold Lewisham nights’: Behind the scenes at Jim Legxacy’s debut UK tour All the pettiest pop beefs of 2025Has the algorithm killed music discovery?