Zola Jesus

Nika Roza Danilova grew up in rural Wisconsin. Without access to the usual distractions available to most children living in a big city, Danilova had to use her imagination and natural curiosity to keep her mind stimulated, which clearly contributed to the timeless, haunting sound of her subsequent musical project,...

By Tom Murphy

February 21, 2012

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Nika Roza Danilova grew up in rural Wisconsin. Without access to the usual distractions available to most children living in a big city, Danilova had to use her imagination and natural curiosity to keep her mind stimulated, which clearly contributed to the timeless, haunting sound of her subsequent musical project, Zola Jesus. Essentially a solo endeavor in the beginning, Zola Jesus grew as Danilova discovered how to fully incorporate percussion with gossamer synths and her spirited, soaring vocals into a vibrant whole. On 2011's Conatus, Danilova smoothed out the harsher edges of her earlier releases, expanded her sonic palette and explored greater atmospheric dynamism. Now touring as a full band, Zola Jesus has become the perfect vehicle for Danilova's creative maturity to find its full expression.

Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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