39 Quotes by Zola Jesus

And my music is always such a release of what I feel inside, an impulse.

I don't find much influence in opera. It was such a different part of me.

I think I'm making music that's pretty universal.

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

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

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!

The only reason I would write a break-up song is because my own problem of allowing myself to relate to people.

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.

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.