Jessicka Fodera

After so many posts about Marilyn Manson, I couldn't but introduce you to another conceptual music act - Scarling. - by telling you about its singer, Jessicka Fodera.

If you notice in the inners of "Portrait of an American Family", the first album from Marilyn Manson (released in 1994), you'll see that he thanks to a band named "Jack off Jill". Later an album was released, called "Humid Teenage Mediocrity", an album with the demos of "Jack off Jill" from 1992 to 1995. Why am I talking about this? Well...

Before the world was introduced to Marilyn Manson, before the world even knew what sweet dreams were made of, there was Ft. Lauderhell, The Spooky Kids, Jack Off Jill and a club called Squeeze, which would later become a headquarters and home away from home for both bands. There, Manson became the great Oz to Jessicka's Dorothy. And Ft. Lauderdale their yellow brick road of sorts. A golden trail leading them out of humid hell and onto bigger and better things. Humid Teenage Mediocrity is a collection of recordings produced during that Golden Age. The now defunct Jack Off Jill hit the South Florida scene in 1992 and was hailed by critics as a "childrens puppet show meets the Exorcist." The band lasted eight years, with only Moulder and Fodera remaining through all its lineups. The Original (all-girl) line-up consisted of Jessicka: vocals/lyrics, Agent (Robin) Moulder: bass, Michelle In-Hell: guitar, and Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha: drums. Jack Off Jill played with a relentless fuck-all attitude and sound that could rarely be duplicated by its predecessors. Releasing Children 5 And Up, Cannibal Songbook and Cockroach Waltz and touring with riot girl legends L7, Babes In Toyland , 7 Year Bitch as well as Goth icons Switchblade Symphony and fellow Floridian shock rockers Marilyn Manson, Jack Off Jill's live show was one to be seen. They commanded the stage ruling it as their own private playpen complete with dolls-candy-blood and a plethora of toys for singer Jessicka to fashion into weapons in order to injure herself or her unsuspecting band mates. Jack Off Jill took the stage taunting you to play their game and play it on their turf.

Humid Teenage Mediocrity is a 25-track collection of songs from the Florida-based punk goth legends, and was produced by Marilyn Manson. The album includes 13 previously unreleased tracks and nine songs that went on to be re-recorded for the classic debut Sexless Demons And Scars. Manson also supplies liner notes with a Jack Off Jill history and guitar parts to "Swollen". Essential for all JOJ and Marilyn Manson fans.

Jack Off Jill released several independent records: "Children 5 and Up", "The Boygrinder Sessions", "Cannibal Song Book", (produced by JOJ and Manson) "Cockroach Waltz", and several 7" singles. It was not until they played a benefit show with legendary Minneapolis based grrl band Babes in Toyland and 7 Year Bitch from Seattle, that Jack Off Jill caught the eye of record labels. Drummer Lori Barbero from Babes wanted to sign them to her now defunct Minneapolis label Spanish Fly, but it was not to be. Jack Off Jill then caught the eyes and ears of Risk Records, who signed them in January 1997. They replaced both Ah Cha Cha and Inhell with new members because the two were not ready to leave Florida. The band released their first national 7" "Girl Scout"/"American Made" in March of 1997. On September 9, their full-length Sexless Demons and Scars (produced by Don Fleming who produced early Hole) was released to the public.

After moderate underground success, touring with Lords of Acid, and playing to sold-out crowds in 1997, Jack Off Jill headed to Los Angeles in order to complete 1998's Covetous Creature, a remix EP of songs from Sexless Demons and Scars with the help of SMP (Scott Putesky), a founding member of Marilyn Manson, and new drummer Claudia Rossi. The new manifestation of Jack Off Jill hit the road on a national tour with Psychotica, joined along the way by Switchblade Symphony.

The band road-tested new songs in March of 1999 when JOJ were asked to take the opening slot on the Marilyn Manson / Monster Magnet / Hole tour after Hole departed. With Putesky no longer in the guitar position, JOJ enlisted the help of Jessicka's then-boyfriend gutarist Clint Walsh, original JOJ guitarist Michelle Inhell (Oliver), and drummer Norm Block and for the tour. In 2000, JOJ released their second full-length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers on Risk Records, that featured a cover by arist Mark Ryden and was produced by Chris Vrenna of Tweaker and Nine Inch Nails, right as the label was preparing to close its doors. Due to pressure, poor publicity for C.H.G.F, several line up changes, tension between founding members Jessicka and Robin, and management problems, Jack Off Jill played its last show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in April of 2000. They were joined onstage by guitarist Helen Storer of the UK all-girl band Fluffy and producer Chris Vrenna on drums. JOJ officially called it quits in late 2000, and Jessicka told that she was never going to do a band again.

After taking a break and making Los Angeles her permanent residence, Jessicka was invited in 2001 by guitarist Christian Hejnal to perform guest vocals on his solo album. The pair had only met a few months earlier through their mutual friend Lisa Leveridge at a Los Angeles night club. They began recording and rehearsing together and eventually recruited the musicians who would form Scarling. in 2002. After the new duo had written a number of songs together, they began a search for additional band members and eventually cemented 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. On March 19, 2003 Scarling.'s debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole", (produced by Chris Vrenna) was released on John's label. Its cover featured an illustration entitled "Wound 39" by artist Mark Ryden. In April of 2004, Scarling. released their debut album, Sweet Heart Dealer, a seven-song, thirty-three-minute amalgamation of sound and texture which again utilized the team of Ryden and Vrenna.

In the autumn of 2004, Scarling. was invited to join the lineup of the Robert Smith-curated Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, and Jessicka's long-time favorite, The Cure. Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and nominated "Sweet Heart Dealer" 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 on August 23, 2005. Scarecrow was produced by Rob Campanella, formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, at his studio, Committee to Keep Music Evil Headquarters. The album features the band's new bass player, Derik Snell. In December of 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first UK tour, creating a buzz for themselves and selling out most venues. While in Europe, Jessicka attended long-time friend Manson's wedding to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese on December 3, 2005, in a secular ceremony in County Tipperary, Ireland. In 2006 Jessicka continues to tour in the US and Europe with Scarling. Along the way, touring with such bands as UK shoegaze outfit Amusement Parks on Fire and opening for The Wedding Present and Depeche Mode. Scarling. are expected to begin working on their third full length album in early 2007.

In the meantime, and introduced as a CD single that conceptually connects "So Long, Scarecrow" and the upcoming album, "Staring to the Sun" was released. It was presented to the fans like this:

SCARLING.’s latest attack to redefine noise and chaos within the context of their beautifully painful melodies is the first single from their latest full length release So Long, Scarecrow. “City Noise”, showcases the SCARLING. desperate, powerful and melancholy sound perfectly and is quickly becoming a trademark to throngs of the lost and lonely. Singer Jessicka’s perfected juxtaposition of sugar vocals and abrasive, yet welcomed outbursts have never collided better with the roaring guitars and pure wall-of-sound, creating a force to be reckoned with on this new release. This CD single also features a 2 brand new unreleased, non-album tracks entitled "Staring To The Sun" and a rather exciting cover of The Pixies "Wave Of Mutilation" making this a must have CD single for all scarred and non-scarred alike that is sure to leave you with a soundtrack to your next nervous breakdown. Original cover and back photos by Piper Ferguson.

As a matter of fact, "Staring to the Sun" is being called by Scarling. members as "SLS2" (So long, Scarecrow 2) as we can see in the picture above. That has an obvious reason: when you get to listen this single you'll notice that this "new track" is something like a "joyfull version" of the "So Long, Scarecrow" song, preparing us to another Scarling. era.

Here's a video (listen to it rather than just watching) with a snippet of an intervew made to Jessicka.