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.
Vessel
Zola Jesus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It moves it moves around you
Sickle the cells of our pains grow in deeper the stains of our youth
Our youth imbued
Grass comes in through the tongues of the sorry words we sprung on you
On you, it fuels
And it surrounds everything
And it will take you to fears you never knew
Running sycophants all our limbs attaches us on as if we have no use
No use to let it refuse
Pick up the wires of our sins filter them into our begnin truths
It fools it fumbles in tune
And it surrounds everything
And it surrounds all your dreams
And it will take you to
Fears you never knew
And it settles in, settles in
Till you forget everything
And it white wash
Into your skin
And you won't remember none
The song "Vessel" by Zola Jesus is a hauntingly beautiful reflection on the hold that pain and trauma can have over our lives. The opening lines immediately draw the listener in with the image of something shiny and alluring ("Luster so sheen") that has the power to trap us ("it pulls you in frets on the harpoons"). The elusive nature of this thing - perhaps a manifestation of our fears and desires - is emphasized by the repetition of "it moves it moves around you".
As the song progresses, Zola Jesus delves deeper into the idea of pain as something that not only scars us, but becomes a part of us ("Sickle the cells of our pains grow in deeper the stains of our youth / Our youth imbued"). The metaphor shifts from something external and all-consuming to something that springs from within: "Grass comes in through the tongues of the sorry words we sprung on you / On you, it fuels". This suggests that we are complicit in our own destruction, allowing negative self-talk and harmful thought patterns to take hold.
The chorus of the song repeats the mantra-like phrase "And it surrounds everything / And it surrounds all your dreams / And it will take you to fears you never knew", emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of trauma and the way it can seep into all aspects of our lives, from our hopes and aspirations to our deepest fears. The final lines of the song paint a bleak picture of the long-term effects of pain: "And it settles in, settles in / Till you forget everything / And it white wash / Into your skin / And you won't remember none". This suggests that there may be no escape from the wounds of our past, and that we may be doomed to carry them with us forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Luster so sheen it pulls you in frets on the harpoons
The shiny appearance of something can be deceiving and can trap us, causing us pain and suffering.
It moves it moves around you
It is constantly present and affecting us, even if we don't realize it.
Sickle the cells of our pains grow in deeper the stains of our youth
Our past experiences and traumas leave a lasting impact on us and can shape who we are.
Our youth imbued
Our past experiences, especially those from our youth, have a strong influence on our present selves.
Grass comes in through the tongues of the sorry words we sprung on you
The negative things we say can take root and grow, causing harm to ourselves and others.
On you, it fuels
These negative words and actions can feed into and worsen a situation.
And it surrounds everything
This negative influence is all-encompassing and pervasive.
And it surrounds all your dreams
Even our aspirations and hopes can be affected by this negativity.
And it will take you to fears you never knew
This negativity can cause us to experience new fears that we never knew existed.
Running sycophants all our limbs attaches us on as if we have no use
We may feel like we are being used or manipulated by others, causing us to question our own value.
No use to let it refuse
Despite these feelings, we must resist the urge to give in and let others control us.
Pick up the wires of our sins filter them into our begnin truths
We must take responsibility for our own mistakes and try to learn from them.
It fools it fumbles in tune
Sometimes our efforts to correct our mistakes can be misguided or ineffective.
And it settles in, settles in
This negativity can become a part of us, affecting us in profound ways.
Till you forget everything
This negativity can cause us to forget who we are and what is truly important.
And it white wash
It can disguise itself as something good and desirable.
Into your skin
It can become a part of us, affecting even our physical being.
And you won't remember none
In the end, we may lose ourselves completely to this negativity and forget who we truly are.
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: NICOLE ROSE HUMMEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@melihkep9385
Zola Jesus
VESSEL LYRICS
Luster so sheen it pulls you in
Frets on the harpoons
It moves, it moves around you
Sickle the cells of our pains
Grow in deeper, deep the stains of
Our youth, our youth imbued
Grass comes in through the tongues
Of the sorry words we sprung
On you, on you it fuels
And it surrounds everything
And it surrounds all your dreams
And it will take you to fears
You never knew
Running sycophants all our limbs
Attaches us on as if we have no use
No use to let it refuse
Pick up the wires of our sins
Filter them into our benign truths
It fools, it fumbles in tune
And it surrounds everything
And it surrounds all your dreams
And it will take you to fears
You never knew
And it settles in, settles in
Till you forget everything
And it white wash
Into your skin
And you won't remember none
No you won't remember none
Who you are
@smailmail
I love her saw her already 3 times live and can't get enough of her
@devinsukowaty6091
Her mom use to substitute at merrill high school. Had her mom as my teacher a couple times
@theycallmelivelyeveryday1809
So y'all saying she's American?
@theycallmelivelyeveryday1809
Wow if so. Would have sworn she's from a different country. Felt I could hear that as she sang I had to read to understand her words
@Monochrome32
One of her best songs!!!
@Tsotha
this is my no1 favourite song of hers
@ramonmachadosilva
When Siouxsie Sioux meets Nine Inch Nails. Masterpiece, that's mix of goth, experimental music, ethereal vocals ,noise e electronic music is amazing.
@PandaRavenstorm
Omg!
@elenachristine6266
Don't forget to sprinkle some Björk in there 🙂
@faydit8247
This song is absolutely wonderful, incredible and unearthly. But also the video.One of my all time favorites.