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.

Trust Me
Zola Jesus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you're lost
Never look down
When you're lost
Know I'll be around
In the meantime when you are found
In the meantime when you are found
I'll be here
I'll be here

I told you to trust me
I told you to trust me
'Cause in the meantime I'll be here
Yes in the meantime I'll be here
Trust me
Trust me

I know that you're afraid
But I'm here
Hang it all
Hang it all
Trust me
'Cause I will be here

I will be here
I told you to trust me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Zola Jesus's song "Trust Me" are simple yet powerful, with a message of reassurance and comfort to someone who is lost and afraid. The opening lines "When you're lost, never look down" suggest that the singer is encouraging the person to keep their head up and not give in to despair. The repetition of "When you're lost, know I'll be around" reinforces the message that the singer will be there to support and guide them. This sense of presence and stability is reinforced by the repeated refrain "Trust me," which is echoed in the final lines "I told you to trust me, 'cause I will be here."

The second verse begins with the admission that "I know that you're afraid," allowing for a moment of vulnerability and empathy with the person in distress. However, the singer quickly reasserts their strength and steadfastness, saying "But I'm here, hang it all." This line suggests that no matter how overwhelming the situation may feel, the singer is willing to bear it with the person and support them through it. The final repetition of "I told you to trust me" feels like a firm reminder of the promise made earlier - that the singer will be there and that the person should have faith in them.

Line by Line Meaning

When you're lost
When you feel like you don't have direction

Never look down
Don't focus on your feet or your current situation

When you're lost
When you feel like you don't have direction (repeated)

Know I'll be around
Understand that I will be there for you when you need me

In the meantime when you are found
When you finally figure things out for yourself

In the meantime when you are found
When you finally figure things out for yourself (repeated)

I'll be here
I will still be there for you even after you've found your way

I told you to trust me
I promised you that you could count on me, believe in me

I told you to trust me
I promised you that you could count on me, believe in me (repeated)

'Cause in the meantime I'll be here
Because I will still be there for you

Yes in the meantime I'll be here
I will definitely be there for you