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.
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.
Sink the Dynasty
Zola Jesus Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Zola Jesus:
05 Sea Talk Way up high When you tell me not to cry Did you…
09 Sea Talk Way up high When you tell me not to cry Did you…
Ash to Bone With every touch, I'm getting closer to the edge With these…
Avalanche In the end I saw you Visions of something i wasn't…
Clay Bodies It's getting dark In the end of the night I can feel…
Collapse Drown the stale Owning stares All around you, all around you…
Compass I just want something to believe in Bigger than you and…
Crowns It′s getting dark In the end of the night I can feel…
Dangerous Days You’re gonna win these odd days You never stood to fight…
Desire Lick my wounds like You can taste them Would it make much Of…
Devil Take You Yeah, so play that thing in a different style Caught on…
Do That Anymore Used to be free Run through the streets but it′s no…
Doma Trees chase the water And I stand alone Like a fawn without…
Dust Give me a open game Don't let it get too far…
Efemra Count the words inside my head I can′t believe I'm barely…
Ego [Verse:] I used to think humility was everything The only wa…
Exhumed Bury the tongue between the teeth Open the jaw and sink…
Fall Back In the dark I feel around me In the clouded mess,…
Fault I am only human And some things don′t make sense Beyond reas…
Go Blank Sea Because I give your wake, Doesn't give better than it takes …
Hikikomori Blisters on my hands Cannot feel the doors or floors I got…
Hollow [Verse:] Under the tissue You never knew it all And no love …
Hunger [Verse:] Oh, I got the hunger It moves but won't lose it I'm…
I Can't Stand It's not easy to fall in love But if you're lucky,…
In Your Nature eyes above me eyes are blown and now just when the wall…
into the wild How can love be misguided? When your heart learns to beat No…
It's Not Over [Verse:] You wanna forget all the nights and days out on…
Ixode Kf vfo mag anr kf vfo rag c'q iknna vorok Yoo…
Lawless [Verse:] Sever the ties before they weigh you down Tie your …
Lick the Palm of the Burning Handshake I'm the only one that sticks around When they call your…
Licke the Palm of the Burning Handshake I'm the only one that sticks around When they call your…
Lightsick Is it over or has it begun do you wonder what will we…
Long Way Down [Verse:] You were the one, I would say We are the one…
Lost In my woods I fall apart To be spoken both must…
Manifest Destiny I don't have a reason to go back home So what…
Nail [Verse:] How am I supposed to survive If I don't know what's…
Night It's getting late It's getting dark In the end of the night…
Poor Animal I feel my hold on the ground Take me under Take me…
Remains What remains of us? What remains of us? What remains of us? …
Run Me Out Run me out again You that I'm tired You know that I'm…
Sea Talk Way up high When you tell me not to cry Did you…
Sea Talks Way up high When you tell me not to cry Did you…
Seekir Do you wonder What we'll become? And you know When the fire …
Sewn Sewn together As the fist of god Won′t be long to weather If…
Shivers Land of the worm And I won't be there tomorrow Land of…
Siphon You write a note, we write a eulogy You drain it…
Six Feet (From My Baby) And in the night I sleep Since the day that I…
Skin Safety net, don't hold me now In this hole I've fallen…
Smirenye Go back home Yeah, just go back home And you'll find That yo…
Soak Born with a scar far above my head I count the…
Stridulum Slip through the door Like someone you've never seen before…
Taiga Do you wish you could go back to it all? Do…
The Fall Clear new moon On dark sight Looking at the stars, waiting f…
Tower Grown pieces of slandered youth Told to wonder but never wo…
Trust Me When you're lost Never look down When you're lost Know I'…
Veka Who can lie for the statue? No retake Who can lie, for…
Vessel Luster so sheen it pulls you in frets on the…
Wiseblood This'll be my last hope That this dream will carry me…
Witness One small thread keeps you hostage To the better side of…
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