Zola Jesus

Biography

Nicole Rose Hummel was born on April 11, 1989, in Phoenix, Arizona. Her parents are first-generation Americans of Ukrainian, German, Slovenian, and Russian descent; her grandparents immigrated from Odessa, Ukraine, and settled in North Dakota. She formally uses her Slavic name, Nika Roza Danilova, and has one older brother. During childhood, her family moved to Merrill, Wisconsin, where they lived on a rural property in 100 acres of forest.

She attended Wausau West High School and later enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee to study business. While still in college, she began recording music at home using keyboards and drum machines. Her stage name combines the French writer Émile Zola with the Christian messiah. She debuted the singles "Poor Sons" on Die Stasi and "Soeur Sewer" in 2008 on Sacred Bones Records, then transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

In 2009, while still a student, she recorded her debut full-length The Spoils, released by Sacred Bones in July 2009. She graduated in 2010 with a double major in French and philosophy. Subsequent releases included the Tsar Bomba EP on Troubleman, the New Amsterdam compilation on Sacred Bones, and an untitled split vinyl with Burial Hex on Aurora Borealis. For touring, she recruited Dead Luke on synths, bassist Lindsay Mikkola, and drummer Max Elliott; later the lineup included Shane Verwey, Nick Turco, Alex DeGroot, and Nick Johnson.

She has also performed with Former Ghosts, supported Fever Ray on their 2010 European tour, toured with The xx, and collaborated with Rory Kane as Nika+Rory.

Artistry

Danilova has cited Ian Curtis, Lydia Lunch, Diamanda Galás, Throbbing Gristle, Swans, Bauhaus, and Cristina as influences; for her fourth album Taiga, she mentioned Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand as vocal influences. Her style has been described as commanded by ominous lyrics and a sultry goth delivery.

The NME noted that she wails like Kate Bush on music sometimes evoking Joy Division. Q magazine located her midway between Florence Welch and Siouxsie and the Banshees, and she has been compared to Nico, Lisa Gerrard, and Elizabeth Fraser. Numerous music videos have been directed by Jacqueline Castel, including "Vessel," "Seekir," "Night," "Nail," and "Exhumed." Since 2012, she has collaborated with costume designer Jenni Hensler, whose work appears in videos for "Dangerous Days," "Seekir," and "Hunger," and who co-directed the remix video for "Ash to Bone."

Did You Know?

• Her grandparents immigrated to the United States from Odessa, Ukraine, and settled in North Dakota.
• She built a home on her family's property in Merrill, Wisconsin, in 2017.
• Numerous Zola Jesus music videos have been directed by Canadian-American director Jacqueline Castel.