Zola Jesus, who is preparing to release her album Arkhon on May 20, described her latest offering from the project, "Desire," as a kind of exorcism. And when you hear the raw ache in her voice that ascends to towering gothic cries, you'll know exactly what she means.
"The song was an exorcism for my pain and lack of closure around heartbreak," she said about the minimal piano ballad. "Sometimes songs are written simply for the cathartic effect of playing them. This is one of those songs. Performing it feels like the most tangible way to experience that closure for myself. Some days I would sit at home playing this song over and over on my piano, just to provide myself that sense of control over what I was feeling.”
Accompanying the single is a video directed by A.F. Cortes. It features Zola Jesus performing at the piano, and also tangling herself and unraveling from within a dark shroud. “I’ve seen Zola Jesus perform live many times in the past," Cortes shared. "Still, nothing prepared me to see the vulnerability of this piece unfolding as it was performed in front of my camera. It was visceral, personal, and profoundly moving. From that first shoot day, I knew I wanted to complement the live performance with a parallel story: A tale of grief, loss, and the capacity of a cathartic metamorphosis to overcome personal trauma. All set in a minimal space, a transitional moment of learning how to let go of the baggage of a previous existence.”
Watch the video for "Desire" below, and pre-order Arkhon here.
