Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
There is a way a voice can cut through the fascia of reality, cleaving through habit into the raw nerve of experience. Nika Roza Danilova, the singer, songwriter, and producer who since 2009 has released music as Zola Jesus, wields a voice that does that. When you hear it, it is like you are being summoned -- not to somewhere new, but to a place that's already wrapped inside you, somewhere previously obscured from conscious experience. This place has been buried because it tends to hold pain, but it's also a gift, because once it's opened, once you're inside of it, it can show you the truth.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
Nika’s newest album “Arkhon”
Accepting the past and exploring the unknown
How her life drastically changed after the release of her album “Okovi” in 2017
Her journey creating her albums: Taiga, Okovi, and Arkhon
“When you’re trying to make music to fit into a world that already exists. It’s much less interesting.” - Nika
Problems with viewing one’s art within the lens of commerce and commercial viability
Having confidence in one’s own unique process
The healing powers of meditation
Having full faith and trust in the muse
Transcendental Meditation
Creating music in isolation
The Definite Chief Aim
Losing touch with one’s internal dialogue
Cultivating purpose
Returning to nature to understand that we are part of a greater ecosystem
Human hubris
Being mindful of how one expends their energy
Changing the world through our artistic contributions
Being completely honest with oneself
Subverting the algorithm
Defining success and value for ourselves
Exploring ideas surrounding monetary success and prosperity
“If you could only have a couple of things in your life, what would they be?” - Nika
Existentialism
“I want to focus on my experience. Not on how other people are experiencing me.” - Nika
People / Artists Mentioned:
Alex DeGroot (Producer & Musician)
David Lynch (Filmmaker)
Andrei Tarkovsky (Director)
Mitch Horowitz (Writer)
Jesse Draxler (Artist)
Napolean Hill (Writer)
Margaret Atwood (Writer)
Joan Didion (Writer)
Books Mentioned:
“Catching The Big Fish” by David Lynch
“The Body Keeps The Score” by Bessel van der Kolk
“Daydream Believer” by Mitch Horowitz
“The White Album” by Joan Didion
“The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion
Films Mentioned:
Arrival (2016)
Don’t Look Up (2021)
artistdecoded.com
zolajesus.com
instagram.com/zolajesus
twitter.com/zolajesus
patreon.com/artistdecoded
Originally 6.6.2022
There is a way a voice can cut through the fascia of reality, cleaving through habit into the raw nerve of experience. Nika Roza Danilova, the singer, songwriter, and producer who since 2009 has released music as Zola Jesus, wields a voice that does that. When you hear it, it is like you are being summoned -- not to somewhere new, but to a place that's already wrapped inside you, somewhere previously obscured from conscious experience. This place has been buried because it tends to hold pain, but it's also a gift, because once it's opened, once you're inside of it, it can show you the truth.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
Nika’s newest album “Arkhon”
Accepting the past and exploring the unknown
How her life drastically changed after the release of her album “Okovi” in 2017
Her journey creating her albums: Taiga, Okovi, and Arkhon
“When you’re trying to make music to fit into a world that already exists. It’s much less interesting.” - Nika
Problems with viewing one’s art within the lens of commerce and commercial viability
Having confidence in one’s own unique process
The healing powers of meditation
Having full faith and trust in the muse
Transcendental Meditation
Creating music in isolation
The Definite Chief Aim
Losing touch with one’s internal dialogue
Cultivating purpose
Returning to nature to understand that we are part of a greater ecosystem
Human hubris
Being mindful of how one expends their energy
Changing the world through our artistic contributions
Being completely honest with oneself
Subverting the algorithm
Defining success and value for ourselves
Exploring ideas surrounding monetary success and prosperity
“If you could only have a couple of things in your life, what would they be?” - Nika
Existentialism
“I want to focus on my experience. Not on how other people are experiencing me.” - Nika
People / Artists Mentioned:
Alex DeGroot (Producer & Musician)
David Lynch (Filmmaker)
Andrei Tarkovsky (Director)
Mitch Horowitz (Writer)
Jesse Draxler (Artist)
Napolean Hill (Writer)
Margaret Atwood (Writer)
Joan Didion (Writer)
Books Mentioned:
“Catching The Big Fish” by David Lynch
“The Body Keeps The Score” by Bessel van der Kolk
“Daydream Believer” by Mitch Horowitz
“The White Album” by Joan Didion
“The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion
Films Mentioned:
Arrival (2016)
Don’t Look Up (2021)
artistdecoded.com
zolajesus.com
instagram.com/zolajesus
twitter.com/zolajesus
patreon.com/artistdecoded
Originally 6.6.2022
