Jessicka

Early life

Jessicka grew up in the town of Sunrise, Florida. She was raised as an only child by her mother Nancy after her mother divorced her husband, Joseph. After high school Jessicka had immersed herself in music, Goth-culture, gay iconography, all things John Waters and feminist literature. At seventeen she decided that she wanted to start her own band.

Jack Off Jill (1992–2000)

Jessica Fodera met Tenni Arslanyan while attending high school in Sunrise, Florida. She added the "K" to the original spelling of her first name and dropped her surname, paying homage to Magick (Book 4), by Aleister Crowley. They had begun writing songs, but had not yet formed a complete band when Robin Moulder and Michelle Oliver joined them to create the band Jack In Jill. In 1992, Jack In Jill got their start when they were asked to open for fellow Floridian Marilyn Manson and his band, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids at a Davie, Florida nightclub called The Plus 5 Lounge. Manson suggested a name change to Jack Off Jill (JOJ). In 1993, JOJ released their first recording titled, "Children 5 And Up", produced by Marilyn Manson. In early 1993, Jessicka performed with Manson's ephemeral side project, Mrs. Scabtree and shared vocal duties with then boyfriend Jeordie White. In December 1993 while on tour, Jessicka spent a night in jail when she and Manson were arrested after a concert in Jacksonville, Florida, for breaking the town's adult entertainment codes. Charges were dropped.

Before her 21st birthday, Jessicka's record label, Rectum Records, had released several independent JOJ records and several 7" singles. Jack Off Jill signed with Los Angeles-based Risk Records in January 1997. The band released their first full-length album, Sexless Demons And Scars, in September 1997 then toured in the U.S. and Canada. In July 2000 JOJ released their second full-length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers, just as their label was preparing to close down.

JOJ officially went on hiatus in late 2000, after playing a show at Los Angeles' The Troubadour in April 2000. They were joined onstage by guitarist Helen Storer of the UK band Fluffy and producer Chris Vrenna on drums.

Reunion

On April 7, 2015 Bust.com announced a Jack Off Jill reunion show at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on July 18 as well as a Pledgemusic campaign offering "Golden Tickets" and other Jack Off Jill rarities related to the show. The 2015 lineup consists of Jessicka, Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, Michelle Inhell & Helen Storer.

Jack Off Jill is referred to by several publications as "Riot Goth Legends" & "Cult Heroes"

Singer Jessicka Addams stated that their show at Heaven in London on October 23, 2015 (her birthday) would be Jack Off Jill's final show.

Scarling. (2002–present)

After taking a break from the music industry and making Los Angeles her permanent residence, Jessicka was invited in 2001 by guitarist Christian Hejnal to be a guest vocalist on his solo album. The pair had only met a few months earlier through a mutual friend, Lisa Leveridge. They began recording and rehearsing together and eventually recruited the musicians who would form the first and very short-lived lineup of Scarling. In early 2002 Jessicka was introduced to Long Gone John, owner of Sympathy for the Record Industry, by mutual friend Mark Ryden. In March 2003 Scarling.'s debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole", was released on John's label. The cover featured an illustration entitled "Wound 39" by artist Mark Ryden. In April 2004 Scarling. released their first album, Sweet Heart Dealer, which again utilized the team of Ryden and Vrenna.

In the autumn of 2004, Jessicka was featured on the cover of ROCKRGRL's vocalist issue. Scarling. was invited to join the lineup of the Robert Smith-curated Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside Jessicka's long-time favorite band The Cure. Three weeks before joining the tour, drummer Samantha Maloney filled in and was soon replaced by Beth Gordon.

Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world", and Scarling.'s Sweet Heart Dealer was nominated for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize.

After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling. announced in early 2005 that their second album, So Long, Scarecrow, would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We are the Music Makers" and was released in August 2005. So Long, Scarecrow was co-produced by Rob Campanella and received several favorable reviews. Alternative Press' Jason Pettigrew gave the album a 5 out of 5 rating. Simon Price from The Independent said, "Fodera has always had a knack for acronyms and catchphrases,'Manorexic' is one which will be lapped up by the goth kids, but her intriguing lyrics, sung in a voice pitched midway between Kate Bush sweetness and Siouxsie Sioux stridency, cut deeper than mere punning." The song Bummer a track from SLS was featured on Showtime's The L Word season 3 episode "Latecomer." In December 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first UK tour. In 2006 Jessicka continued to tour in the US and Europe with Scarling., touring with such bands as UK shoegaze band Amusement Parks on Fire and opening for The Wedding Present and Depeche Mode. In 2006, Scarling. released their fourth single Staring to the Sun. The album cover featured a portrait of Jessicka done by Los Angeles photographer Piper Ferguson.

On 12 March 2013, Jessicka Addams posted on her Facebook page that she was working on lyrics for some new Scarling. songs.

On May 13, 2014, Mark Ryden released an album entitled ‘The Gay Nineties Old Tyme Music: Daisy Bell,’ that features Scarling. along with other artists all giving a different rendition of the same song, ‘Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two).'The album, printed on 180 g red vinyl, was limited to 999 copies, all hand-numbered and signed by Ryden. Half of the records were to be sold at the Michael Kohn gallery. The proceeds from the record, will benefit Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit that supports musical education in disadvantaged elementary schools.

Between bands

After JOJ Jessicka worked with Kevin Haskins, producer Chris Vrenna on American McGee's Alice soundtrack, and drummer Samantha Maloney. She also made a cameo appearance in Ellie Parker.

In March, 2009, Jessicka appeared as a special guest in an episode of the reality television series Germany's Next Topmodel, hosted by Heidi Klum. In April 2009, Jessicka modeled for photographer Austin Young for the Bettie Page "Heaven Bound" art show.

Jessicka and her husband Christian performed with their band Scarling. at the wedding of Bravo's Shear Genius finalist Janine Jarman and Matthew Wolcott at the Houdini Mansion in Hollywood on June 26, 2010.

Jessicka and her husband Christian were featured on an episode of Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis which aired August 20, 2013

Released March 10, 2014, Jessicka makes a small cameo in Placebo's - Begin The End video, directed by Los Angeles photographer Piper Ferguson

On July 22, 2014, Jessicka wrote the essay titled 'Coming Full Circle with Fat Phobia, Anne Wilson, & Self Hatred' that was published online in Bust (magazine). It discusses the singers' experiences with being overweight in the music industry and fat phobia.

Art

On April 25, 2008 at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Los Angeles, California, Jessicka was in her first group artshow curated by actor Daniel Franzese called depARTed.

On November 13, 2010, she presented her artwork collectively entitled 'Smile Even if it Hurts' at the Dark Dark Science Gallery (Atwater Village, California) in a joint exhibit with friend and fellow artist Lindsey Way. Jessicka's show was titled "What's Behind The Bunny" and featured collaborations with artists Mark Ryden, Elizabeth McGrath, Morgan Slade, Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, Joshua Petker, Tarina Tarantino, Jared Gold, Austin Young, and Janine Jarman. On April 1, 2011, her website JessickaAddams.com launched featuring a gallery of her artwork.

On April 9, 2011 Jessicka participated in Tara McPherson's "Tiny Trifecta" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York and LeBasse Projects inaugural exhibition "Momentum" in Chinatown, Los Angeles, California.

On August 5, 2011 Jessicka's show "Little Grey Secrets" opened at La Luz de Jesus gallery in Los Angeles.

Jessicka is listed in several art publications as one of artist Mark Ryden's muses. On November 2, 2013, Addams was part of a four-woman show in Los Angeles called "Black Moon" with fellow female artists, Elizabeth McGrath, Camille Rose Garcia and Marion Peck.

January 2014, The LA Art Show had over 18,000 items on display from over 135 dealers, Addams was recognized by the Huffington Post Arts & Culture, "Jessicka Addams, who could be related to the real Addams Family and creates self-portraits that reference near death personal experiences with a witty, macabre slant."

Curator

Jessicka has curated two different art shows under the name Dark Dark Science. The first was on November 13, 2010, the show was collectively entitled 'Smile Even if it Hurts', a joint exhibit with friend and fellow artist Lindsey Way. The second show was on August 4, 2012 and ran until August 28, 2012. The show was called 'MiXTAPE'. Artists were asked to pick a song and create art inspired by that song. 24 artists participated in the show including Mark Ryden, Frances Bean Cobain, Camille Rose Garcia, Fairuza Balk, Aaron Smith, and Tara McPherson. The eclectic mix of songs chosen were featured for digital download on iTunes.

Writer

Jessicka contributed quotes to Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton. I Love Geeks by author Carrie Tucker and Cherry Bomb by Carrie Borzillo.

Jessicka Addams and author Carrie Jo Tucker walk the line between confrontation, expression, and exploitation and created and released a zine called After Grrrl (Small Stories From Big Lives) in 2015. The zine included stories from many influential female artists, icons, and taste makers including Allison Wolfe, Camille Rose Garcia, Tara McPherson, Kelly Osbourne, Bonnie Burton, Remy Holwick, Lori Barbero, Jessica Origliasso, Janine Jarman as well as many others.

Personal life

Jessicka identifies herself as bisexual. On February 14, 2006, (Valentine's Day) while on a break from touring, she and Scarling colleague Christian Hejnal were engaged. Their wedding took place on October 13, 2007 at the Oviatt Penthouse in Los Angeles and was attended by numerous celebrities. The couple changed their surname to Addams.

Exhibitions

Discography

Filmography