Zola Jesus (the stage name of Nika Danilova) wrote an album called Okovi. In it she talks about enduring familial suicide and surviving long term severe depression. I have listened to this album many times, and a lot of it has to do with the subject matter, and I’m sure you can guess why that is. You might even guess right.

In June of 2025 we saw Nika Danilova perform a second time; this time it was at the Holocene in Portland. For this concert it was her and a large piano and that is all. Both Wiseblood and Siphon give me aesthetic chills every time I hear them, and I also cried, and I don’t remember which song it was that made me shed tears.