Listen to Zola Jesus Perform “Avalanche” and “Trust Me” on This Day in 2011
Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Music Features Zola Jesus
Zola Jesus, aka goth synth-pop queen Nika Danilova, is a master of shadowy, atmospheric pop songs. Across five albums and four EPs, she’s explored various forms of classical, industrial, pop and electronic music, making her sound hard to pin down, but no less affecting and expansive.
On this day in 2011, Danilova recorded a session for Daytrotter in Davenport, Iowa, where she brought out album standouts “Trust Me” from 2010’s Stridulum II and “Avalanche” from 2011’s Conatus. Both songs are flowy, slow tension builders that capture both an elegance and looming darkness. “Trust Me” is a gauzy free-floater while “Avalanche” is more of a powerful battle cry.
Read: Navigating the Forest of Zola Jesus’ Taiga
Listen to Zola Jesus’ Daytrotter performance from this day in 2011 below. Read Paste’s review of Zola Jesus’ latest album, 2017’s Okovi, here.