Zola Jesus, Islington Assembly Hall

Nika Roza Danilova was born in deep Wisconsin, growing up with snowed-in winters, a hunter father and absolute isolation from any peers. She venerated opera, and with the help of a vocal trainer learnt operatic singing, but anxiety frequently robbed her of her voice, preventing her from performing. She tormented herself over this perceived failure, but managed to begin recording her own music, this time tinged with rock, taking the name Zola Jesus in a deliberate act of alienation of others.
Zola Jesus released her debut full album while studying at the University of Wisconsin, but it wasn’t until 2010, when she released the Stridulum EP that she was accessible enough to start garnering significant attention. From this point on her classically-trained, unconventionally-used voice made people sit up, reminding people of the gothic side of Kate Bush.
A combination of electronic, goth, rock and classical music, mixed experimentally together, Zola Jesus is fascinatingly dark, her voice sewing these different elements together.
Part of the Illuminations Festival, performing at the Islington Assembly Hall, Zola Jesus will be performing songs largely from her most recent album Taiga (released in October 2014), but we also expect to see moments from earlier works.