I feel like humans are a disease. It's a hard thing to communicate in a pop song. I mean, who wants to hear that?

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

I know for sure that nothing matters.

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.

The word "theatrical" makes me cringe, because it suggests a performance is staged, put on, rehearsed. And while all this is true for an opera, I believe the act of singing and performing should always be honest, raw, guttural.

I feel like humans are a disease. It's a hard thing to communicate in a pop song. I mean, who wants to hear that?

I try to create songs that are really massive and intense, but at the same time remaining honest and raw.