Everything I do is a reflection of the duality within me. Musically, I really love things that are very synthetic and unnatural. And I also like the organic and human... the intrinsic, I guess.

I started performing opera when I was 10 years old. I didn't perform as Zola Jesus until I was probably 18.

I feel like I am alone when I am in the presence of those I love. It is so freeing and comfortable, you become one with them.

The greatest benefit of being a solo performer is that it is seriously frightening, but at the same time very empowering. It's just you and the audience. All the weight is on you to deliver the songs.

No matter what you do, if there's something you're afraid of, you need to break through it.

A lot of times I have the song inside of me and I have to fight to get it out. I'm a very visual person, so I can see the song but I can't hear it. But I think that if your music becomes a war for it to happen, in the end there's a certain kind of aggression in the music. And I think that's a lot more interesting.

People don't really understand who I am. They always think that I'm very dark or depressed, but it couldn't be further from the truth!