Jessicka Addams (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American visual artist and former musician.[1] Best known by her stage name Jessicka, she was the frontwoman for the rock band
Jack Off Jill, and later for the
noise-pop band
Scarling.
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 immersed herself in music, the
Goth subculture,[2]gay iconography,
John Waters, and
feminist literature. At 15, she decided to start her own band and began writing lyrics that would later appear on early Jack Off Jill demos.[3]
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. The two began writing songs, and were joined by
Robin Moulder and Michelle Oliver to create the band Jack In Jill. In 1992, Jack In Jill got their start when they were asked to open for
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).[4][5] In 1993, JOJ released their first recording titled, "Children 5 And Up", produced by Marilyn Manson.[6] In early 1993, Jessicka performed with Manson's ephemeral side project, Mrs. Scabtree, and shared vocal duties with her then-boyfriend
Jeordie White.[7]
In December 1994, while on tour in
Jacksonville, Florida, Jessicka and Manson were arrested after a concert for breaking the town's adult entertainment codes. They both spent one night in jail. Charges were dropped.[12][13]
By 1995, Jessicka's record label, Rectum Records, had released several independent JOJ records and
7" singles.[14] 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 the label was preparing to close down.[15]
JOJ officially went on hiatus in late 2000,[16] 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.[17]
After taking a break from the music industry and moving to Los Angeles, Jessicka was invited in 2001 by guitarist
Christian Hejnal to be a guest vocalist on his solo album. The pair had met a few months earlier through a mutual friend. They began recording and rehearsing together and eventually recruited the musicians who would form the first and very short-lived lineup of Scarling.[2] In early 2002, Jessicka was introduced to record label owner
Long Gone John by mutual friend
Mark Ryden. In March 2003, Scarling.'s debut single "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" was released through
Sympathy for the Record Industry. 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.[18]
In the autumn of 2004, Jessicka was featured on the cover of ROCKRGRL's vocalist issue.[19] 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.[20][21][22] Three weeks before joining the tour, drummer
Samantha Maloney filled in and was soon replaced by Beth Gordon.[23]
After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling. announced in early 2005 that their second album, So Long, Scarecrow, would release later that year; it was preceded by the single "We are the Music Makers" and released in August 2005. So Long, Scarecrow was co-produced by
Rob Campanella and received several favorable reviews.[28][29][30]Alternative Press' Jason Pettigrew gave the album a 5 out of 5 rating.[31] 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."[32] The song Bummer was featured on Showtime's The L Word season 3 episode "Latecomer".[33] In December 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first UK tour. In 2006 Jessicka continued to tour in the US and Europe, with Scarling. opening for
The Wedding Present and
Depeche Mode and touring alongside UK
shoegaze band
Amusement Parks on Fire.[34] 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.[35]
On May 13, 2014, Mark Ryden released an album entitled 'The Gay Nineties Old Tyme Music: Daisy Bell,' that featured
Scarling. and more than a dozen other artists all performing their own renditions of the 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.[36][37]
Jack Off Jill reunion shows and retirement (2015)
On April 7, 2015, Bust.com announced a Jack Off Jill reunion show at
The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina 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 consisted of Jessicka, Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, Michelle Inhell and Helen Storer.[38] During the band's reunion, Jack Off Jill was described by several publications as "Riot Goth Legends" and "Cult Heroes".[38][39][10] Jessicka stated that their show at Heaven in London on October 23, 2015 (her birthday) would be Jack Off Jill's final show.[10]
On February 2, 2021, Jessicka announced on
Twitter that she was no longer a part of the music industry, stating that she was now "finding other ways to release my negative emotions while trying to be kinder to myself."[1]
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.[47]
On March 10, 2014, Jessicka made a small cameo in
Placebo's "Begin the End" video, directed by Los Angeles photographer Piper Ferguson.[50]
Writing
Addams contributed interview quotes to 2009's Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change, written by
Bonnie Burton.[51] The book discusses the issue of bullying and abuse between girls, including its causes and advice on how to cope. The book draws upon experiences and interviews with
Go-Gos guitarist
Jane Wiedlin, writer and actress
Mary Jo Pehl, tattoo artist
Hannah Aitchison,
Tegan Quin of the band
Tegan and Sara, and artist
Elizabeth McGrath.[52]
On July 22, 2014, Jessicka wrote an essay titled "Coming Full Circle with Fat Phobia,
Anne Wilson, & Self Hatred" that was published online in
Bust. It discusses the singers' experiences with being overweight in the music industry.[53][54]
In 2016, with the help of author Carrie Jo Tucker, Jessicka organized, contributed to, and
self published a
zine called “After Grrrl” (Small Stories From Big Lives). The zine included stories from many influential female artists, icons, and taste makers including
Allison Wolfe,
Lori Barbero,
Camille Rose Garcia,
Kelly Osbourne, Bonnie Burton and Remy Holwick as well as many others.[55][56][57]
Art
On April 25, 2008, at the
World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Los Angeles, California, Addams was in her first group artshow curated by actor
Daniel Franzese called depARTed.[58][59]
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. Adams' 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.[60] On April 1, 2011, her website JessickaAddams.com launched featuring a gallery of her artwork.[61]
On April 9, 2011, Addams participated in
Tara McPherson's "Tiny Trifecta" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York,[62] and LeBasse Projects inaugural exhibition "Momentum" in Chinatown, Los Angeles, California.[63]
On August 5, 2011, Addams' show "Little Grey Secrets" opened at
La Luz de Jesus gallery in Los Angeles.[64][65][66]
In January 2014, Addams was featured in the
LA Art Show.
Huffington Post's Bruce Helander wrote, "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."[70]
Curator
Addams has
curated two different art shows under the name Dark Dark Science. The first was a joint exhibit with friend and fellow artist
Lindsey Way on November 13, 2010, collectively entitled 'Smile Even if it Hurts'.[60] The second show ran from August 4 to August 28, 2012, and was titled '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.[71][72]
Personal life
Addams identifies as
bisexual.[73] On February 14, 2006, while on a break from touring, she and Scarling colleague
Christian Hejnal got 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.[74]
On October 20, 2017, Addams wrote a
Facebook post accusing her ex-boyfriend
Twiggy Ramirez, bassist of
Marilyn Manson, of raping her while they were a couple in the 1990s; she also accused him of subjecting her to
domestic violence and
emotional abuse.[75][76]
On October 24, 2017, Marilyn Manson tweeted on
Twitter[77] that the band had parted ways with Ramirez following allegations of sexual misconduct made against him, and announced that there would be a replacement for the upcoming tour.[78][79]
Exhibitions
2025 “Weird Like Clouds” TBA
2016 "Please Stop Loving Me" / "Shitty Teen" with Lindsey Way February 5–28, 2016 at
La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles, CA
2014 "That Which Does Not Kill You" May 9 to June 8, 2014" The Cotton Candy Machine,
Brooklyn, NYC[80]
^Presenters:
Heidi Klum, Kristian Schuller, Qualid "Q" Ladraa (March 5, 2010). "Germany's Next Topmodel, Season 4". Germany's Next Topmodel. 2:34 minutes in.
^Pena, Jeffery.
"LeBasse Chinatown opens with "Momentum."". Curbs and Stoops. Archived from
the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012. Curbs And Stoops Contemporary Art Magazine, 'LeBasse Chinatown opens with "Momentum."' March 26, 2011