Ahead of the release of her new album ‘Arkhon’, which will be released June 24 via Sacred Bones Records, ZOLA JESUS releases the powerful and evocative ‘Into the Wild’. Following the previous singles ‘Lost’, ‘Desire’ and ‘The Fall’, Nika Roza Danilova comments on the track: “‘Into the Wild’ was written about the end of a relationship, and what seemed like the end of a former life. It was such an overwhelming, tumultuous time of my life; every step into the future felt like walking into the great unknown. My anxiety was at an all-time high, and getting through each day felt like a nearly impossible task. Songwriting was the only way to feel grounded in what I was experiencing. This song in particular became a beacon for me. I’m so grateful to have music as an outlet to help me navigate difficult periods, and hopefully those listening to this will also feel a deeper sense of stability through their own big changes.”ZOLA JESUS also shared news about ‘The Zola Jesus Diaries’, a three-part series airing on the Blast Radio app in which Nika takes listeners through her favourite songs from yesterday and today, discusses her influences and features an in-depth track synopsis by track of ‘Arkhon’. Nika says about the series: “I’m really excited to debut the ‘Zola Jesus Diaries’ on Blast Radio and to be using their unique format; it calls back to pirate radio and the ephemeral experience of listening into a live broadcast. Each show will cover different aspects of my music and my new album ‘Arkhon’, I can’t wait to take listeners on this journey.”
‘The Zola Jesus Diaries’ on Blast Radio
Episode 1: June 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
Episode 2: June 21, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
Episode 3: June 28, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
Zola Jesus - Into The Wild (Visualiser)
On previous albums, Nika Roza Danilova aka ZOLA JESUS has largely played the role of author and sole ruler, meticulously crafting every aspect of the sound and look of her project. This time, however, she realized that her habitual need for control cut her off from her art. When the frustration of not being able to create became unbearable, she offered for outside input for the first time in ZOLA JESUS history. “At some point, I had to work with other people. I needed new blood. I needed somebody else.”
Danilova sent her demos to producer Randall Dunn, best known for his work with SUNN O))) and on Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score for ‘Mandy’. She also began collaborating with drummer and percussionist Matt Chamberlain, who has already worked on albums by Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan and David Bowie. “When I look back at my work, I see there’s a theme where I fixate on my fear of the unknown,” says Danilova. “That really came into fruition for this record, because I had to let go of so much control. I had to surrender to whatever the outcome would be. That used to be really hard for me, and now I had no other choice.”
In her creative process, Danilova instead began to develop a relationship with the unknown. Rather than attempting to capture ‘Arkhon’ in its entirety at every moment of its creation, she focused on the immediate experience of collaborating with others, allowing for spontaneous moments of uninhibited play. After over a decade of classical vocal training, she found that this change allowed her to use her singing voice in a new way that led her to greater flexibility and agility. “I had gone through a deeply transformational process of inner growth. That annihilated a lot of tension in my voice, because my whole attachment to things changed”.
‘Arkhon’ unearths buried tools to endure grief, loss and disappointment. The title of the album means “power” or “ruler” in ancient Greek, but it also has a special meaning in Gnosticism. “Arkons are a Gnostic idea of power wielded through a flawed god,” says Danilova. “They taint and tarnish humanity, keeping them corrupted instead of letting them find their harmonious selves. I do feel like we are living in an arkhonic time; these negative influences are weighing extremely heavy on all of us. We’re in a time of arkhons. There’s power in naming that.”
Tracklist
01. Lost
02. The Fall
03. Undertow
04. Into the Wild
05. Dead and Gone
06. Sewn
07. Desire
08. Fault
09. Efemra
10. Do That Anymore
Pre-order: https://geni.us/Arkhon
Source: Press Release
