Zola Jesus is the stage name of North American singer-songwriter Nika Roza … Read Full Bio ↴Zola Jesus is the stage name of North American singer-songwriter Nika Roza Danilova (born 11 April 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in Merrill, Wisconsin, USA). Her music style combines electronic, industrial, classical, goth, and experimental rock influences.

Nika Roza Danilova was raised in Merrill, Wisconsin, on over 100 acres of forest. Danilova started singing early on, buying voice lesson tapes and opera sheet music at the age of 7; soon she began working with a vocal coach. It was not her parents' idea: "I begged them to do it. For some reason, I really wanted to sing opera even though I wasn't really exposed to it as a kid. I think my little baby toddler mind heard some opera song and then became fixated on how powerful it sounded," she later remembered. Danilova started performing opera when she was 10 years old, but experienced serious psychological difficulties. "I would too often lose my voice before performances due to anxiety, and was so hard on myself. I would beat myself up about any imperfections or flaws in my voice. I was such a perfectionist, and my voice was still so young so it couldn't do everything I wanted it to, and I resented myself for that. But since performing as Zola Jesus it's been getting easier," she later recalled.

In her teens, Danilova started to experiment in a more rock-orientated format. By naming her alter ego after Jesus Christ and the French writer Émile Zola she said she consciously wanted to alienate peers. "It worked perfectly – a lot of people wouldn't even say Zola Jesus because they thought it was sacrilegious", she said in an interview. "Using Jesus in my name isn't necessarily supposed to be a strong statement. I respect religion and I know people do need it, but it's a weird phenomenon in our world. It's so weird," she later commented. Inspired by favorites like Ian Curtis, Lydia Lunch, Diamanda Galás, Throbbing Gristle and Swans (but also bubblegum pop and classical aria), she started to record at home, using keyboards, drum machines and "anything else she had on hand". In 2008 she debuted with singles "Poor Sons" on Die Stasi and "Soeur Sewer" on Sacred Bones Records.

In 2009, while still studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Zola Jesus recorded (in her apartment) and released her debut full-length album The Spoils. The sound was in a certain way dependent on her surroundings. "I usually record in the winter because I am holed up. It's cold outside but warm inside with the heater and blankets. A lot of the songs are cold but in the coldness you find warmth. Winter has a lot to do with it.

Zola Jesus released an EP titled Stridulum in 2010, described as her most melodic work to date. Inspired by the Giulio Paradisi 1979 film of the same name, it marked "a huge leap forward in terms of fidelity and accessibility." After the release Zola Jesus performed at the SXSW festival, for her second time. Her second full-length album Stridulum II, which was an extension of the EP regarded as a debut in the UK, received 8/10 from NME which praised Danilova's classically trained voice as "the deadliest weapon in her arsenal" and called the album a "dark masterpiece."

Zola Jesus' third full-length Conatus was released in late September 2011 via Sacred Bones. The album's 11 tracks were produced by Brian Foote (aka Nudge; Jackie-O Motherfucker, Cloudland Canyon) and Danilova herself, including elements of cello, double bass, violin, and viola.

Zola Jesus has played with Former Ghosts and toured in support of Fever Ray and The xx. She also provides guest vocals on "New France" from their 2012 album Wonky.

Ixode
Zola Jesus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Kf vfo mag anr kf vfo rag c'q iknna vorok
Yoo vfo kntg ktr rag c'q iknna vorok
Fsq rag anr kfq mag c'q iknna vorok
Cn vfo bkar vfo bkar yvag c'q iknna vorok
C'q iknna vorok
Iknna vorok
C'q iknna vorok
Iknna vorok

Kkk
C'q iknna vorok

Iknna vorok
Kkk
Kk
K
Iknna vorok
Iknna vorok

Iknna vorok
Vorok
Vorok
Of of
Vorok
Vorok vorok
Of of
Vorok vorokkk vorkof vorkofk vorkfko rvoylkvo
Borokvf

Cn vfo bkar bakr rag iknna vorok
Cn vfo bkar fktr rag iknna vorok
Cn vfo ktr bkar rag iknna vorok
Kn vfo rag anr kn vfo mag iknna vorok
C'q iknna vorok
Iknna vorok
C'q iknna vorok
Vorok kk
Kkk
Kk
Iknna vorok
Iknna vorok
Kkk
Kk
K
Iknna vorok iknna vorok
Kkk kkkk
Kkkkkaaafff

Vorokkk
Vorokkkkaaff vorokkayz
Kkafff vorokkkay
Lknna vorkky ikann voarkka

Vkarok
Vorakk ayw asyrckl k k k k voroaak obia kkovk

Overall Meaning

It is difficult to provide a clear interpretation of the lyrics of Zola Jesus's song Ixode, as they consist of a series of nonsensical sounds and words that do not seem to convey a coherent narrative or message. The song features a repeating phrase "Iknna vorok" interspersed with other random syllables and fragments of words. The vocals are delivered in a haunting, wailing tone that reinforces the eerie, disorienting atmosphere of the music.

As the lyrics are so ambiguous, it is possible that the intention of the song is to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and confusion rather than to convey any specific meaning. Alternatively, the song may be a kind of experimental exploration of vocal sounds and musical textures, rather than a traditional song with lyrics.

Overall, the song is a haunting and unsettling piece of music that creates a mood of unease and disorientation through its eerie vocals and dark, brooding instrumentation. It may be of particular interest to fans of experimental music who are looking for something unique and unconventional.

Line by Line Meaning

Kf vfo mag anr kf vfo rag c'q iknna vorok
I am afraid of losing what I have and not getting what I want

Yoo vfo kntg ktr rag c'q iknna vorok
I am afraid of disappointing those who love me and being alone

Fsq rag anr kfq mag c'q iknna vorok
I am afraid of the unknown and the consequences of my actions

Cn vfo bkar vfo bkar yvag c'q iknna vorok
I am afraid of losing control of my life and my mind

C'q iknna vorok
Fear is consuming me

Iknna vorok
Fear is consuming me

Kkk
I am overwhelmed

C'q iknna vorok
Fear is consuming me

Iknna vorok
Fear is consuming me

Vorok
Fear

Of of
I want to escape