Zola Jesus breaks down a few songs from her new album, 'Arkhon.' She discusses her Russian and Ukrainian heritage, her battles with anxiety and depression, and how she uses music to heal. She also talks about some of the issues facing independent musicians, like the exhaustion of touring and releasing music without time to reflect, and trying to stay relevant in a society looking for viral hits.

“The only things that are being rewarded are the things that get the most popular and the only way to get popular is to stimulate the attention of people in a very immediate and primal way,” she says.

Zola Jesus breaks down a few songs from her new album, 'Arkhon.' She discusses her Russian and Ukrainian heritage, her battles with anxiety and depression, and how she uses music to heal. She also talks about some of the issues facing independent musicians, like the exhaustion of touring and releasing music without time to reflect, and trying to stay relevant in a society looking for viral hits.
“The only things that are being rewarded are the things that get the most popular and the only way to get popular is to stimulate the attention of people in a very immediate and primal way,” she says.

On A Deeper Listen, host Emily Fox and other storytellers from KEXP talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.

On A Deeper Listen, host Emily Fox and other storytellers from KEXP talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.

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