Zola Jesus: New Album 'Arkhon' and Spiritual Journey in Cappadocia

Nika Roza Danilova, known as Zola Jesus, is releasing her new album 'Arkhon' on Sacred Bones. The album is preceded by a video shot in Cappadocia, Turkey, a region with caves and rock sites dating back 60 million years, chosen to emphasize the spiritual aspect of the track. Zola Jesus, born in Phoenix in 1989 to a family of Russian, German, Slovenian, and Ukrainian descent, adopted her stage name combining writer Émile Zola and Jesus Christ. Her musical style blends electronic, industrial, classical, and dark/goth elements. After early success with singles and a 2009 debut album on Sacred Bones, she gained recognition through tours and collaborations with Fever Ray, LA Vampires, and Former Ghosts. Her second album was hailed as a dark music masterpiece by NME. She later explored pop sounds on Mute Records before returning to dreamier roots after a period of depression. Her vocal style has been compared to Siouxsie Sioux and Lisa Gerrard. In July, she will tour the US with The Cult and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. In an interview, she defined art as 'something that exists for itself' and music as 'the mental or emotional manipulation of sound.' Her favorite visual artwork is by Odilon Redon, and her favorite song is 'The Nightingale and the Rose' by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.