J Hacha De Zola’s latest “completely original approach to crafting American music” is “Without A Tribe,” New Jersey artist’s sixth album, out June, 9th.

“This isn’t the glamorized, even romanticized version of the Garden State,” Hacha De Zola says of his paranoid vision, “A Day In Secaucus, New Jersey.”

“Let’s just say I live in a very different Jersey than Springsteen’s Jersey.”

J Hacha De Zola speaks with authority about the reality that he knows better than anyone who may mythologize his home state through the songs of The Boss.

“With this album, I want to anchor myself as being from ‘Dirty Jerzee,’ he jokes. “It’s a badge of honor, really, because this place isn’t for the faint of heart.”

There’s a revolution coming, the likes of which that has never been seen before. As the streets burn, the opposition will go unnoticed as artists tire of mundane conformity. Their music will be heard blaring in the background, becoming the soundtrack to our lives. And the streets will continue to burn brightly, enabling us all to capture just a glimpse of these maestros.

Enter: J Hacha De Zola…

Rarely do we dream in color and there must be a reason for it but it isn’t for anyone to ever question the things we can’t control. It simply prepares us all for the colorful world that awaits us when we wake. While it may be daunting at times, it’s always an experience we never expect but should just enjoy and take in without any apprehension. Music, it’s the one changing factor that allows those same colors around us all to shift and vary in ways we never see coming.

Many artists pride themselves on their upbringing and hometown, and J Hacha De Zola is no different, as you’ll find out with his new single “A Day in Secaucus, New Jersey.” But this isn’t the glamorized, even romanticized version of the Garden State emphasized by artists such as Bruce Springsteen. No, Hacha De Zola views his hometown quite differently…

“The title speaks for itself,” says J Hacha De Zola about “Stay Away,” taken from his just-announced sixth studio album Without A Tribe, scheduled for release on June 9. “The song is a response to the personally, politically, and existentially overwhelming nature of the  irrational and desperate times we’re living in. A snapshot of just wanting all the noise to stop!”

Frank welcomes back J Hacha De Zola, to talk about his new Greatest Hits album, plus his forthcoming album, East of Eden. Includes the tracks Black Sparrow and Anarchy. J Hacha De Zola’s Greatest Hits is out on 2nd April, 2021.

J Hacha De Zola has been on my radar for a couple of years. Every time De Zola releases a new single or collection of songs I get excited. Because I know that I will be getting high quality sonics, clever lyrics and some of the swag that J seems to exude naturally.

While Jersey City’s J Hacha de Zola readies a new album for June, the self-described “urban junkyard” musician has graced us with a collection of favorite tracks culled his previous releases.

For his fifth album, East of Eden (Caballo Negro, June 11th), J Hacha De Zola has left the “urban junkyard” of his previous albums and slipped into a natty white suit.

His look is more accessible this time around and his sound matches. The result is an album that exemplifies the universe that Hacha De Zola has built over his four previous albums (as well as EPs that cover ground from the all-Spanish “Syn Illusión” to his versions of hits by female pop stars on “UnPOPular”), while also charting new territory.

Imagine an urban, mythical figure by the name of J Hacha De Zola traveling from New Jersey to Los Angeles where he locks himself in a hotel room to ponder “tasty phrases” of classic masters torn from the pages of various books of poetry. The cut-up technique is his favorite—a method perfected by William S. Burroughs—and his preferred process for building the narratives of his songs. J Hacha pulls tiny slivers of paper from boxes that he shakes, shuffles, and then tosses into the air so they randomize themselves, allowing the slivers to create their own story.

Today’s song is “Strange” by J Hacha De Zola. The Jersey City, NJ native never thought of himself as a recording artist when he started out but says “…I guess that’s what I do now,” he realizes, concluding, “Sometimes you find yourself so far down the road that there’s only one option: to keep ongoing.”

In this episode of “What The Music”, we are talking with J Hacha De Zola! We play a few cuts from his “Greatest Hit Album”. We also premiere a new song from a up coming new LP! We’re finding out just what it takes to create a “Greatest Hits” album. Plus when do you feel comfortable with your voice? And we get in to hilarious hi-jinks as we talk about doing a interview from your car!

The man who describes his sound as “urban junkyard” explains the inspiration for the compilation, saying, “It was kind of an exercise of stepping back, and taking a look at what I’ve done, and trying to identify some of the purest, most representative moments of the past four records or so, four or five, and kind of just spilling it all down into this thing that now is known as the Greatest Hits.”

From American Songwriter:
”J Hacha De Zola typically uses a “pin the tail on the donkey” approach to songwriting. “I love when a song has a particular air of randomness to it,” says the New Jersey-based singer-songwriter. Surprisingly, writing “Which Way” off his upcoming fifth album East of Eden (Caballo Negro), out June 11, wasn’t as capricious.”

On June 13th 2019, J Hacha De Zola played his newest album, Icaro Nouveau, in full at The McKittrick Hotel. After premiering his trippy video for “Super Squeaky,” we had to catch his live set for ourselves, so headed over to the swanky McKittrick and settled into the dark and moody room for what would be a memorable evening of solid storytelling through music.

Super excited to be on the air waves via "Strange Currency" tomorrow at 9PM EST / 8PM CST on Wichita's NPR member station KMUW as part of the "Celebrating Independence With New Standards For The 20th Century" series!

Tomorrow evening's show features selections from "Icaro Nouveau," the latest release by yours truly J Hacha De Zola, as well as music from "On Tap" by The Rad Trads! Very special thanks to Jedd Beaudoin for having the us!!

"A dark and swinging blend of jagged jazz, back alley blues and deliciously demented carnival stomp, the album furthers the case that De Zola might very well be one of the most important and singular artists making music today."

“A standout track from J Hacha De Zola’s latest album Icaro Nouveau is “El Chucho (Hooko)”, a bit of a marching band type thing, according to Hacha De Zola. It’s an urban folk tale about a villain, the kind of guy who would cheat you, steal your girl, and stab you in the back. He’s also a silver tongued charmer. Every neighborhood barrio has a guy like this.”

"Icaro Nouveau is simply the latest installment in this neon-fueled sonic acid trip. It’s a mighty thing to witness and even a mightier one to say you survived. So, do yourself a favor and tune in."

"We are excited to premiere the new video from J Hacha De Zola called “Super Squeaky” today at Pancakes And Whiskey. The song is off his new album entitled Icaro Nouveau and lucky for us, it’s out this Friday (3-29-19)…

'Super Squeaky' has a disjointed, yet sneaky and bluesy backbeat that snakes around the emotional vocals and storytelling." …

“Earlier this year, I wrote about J. Hacha De Zola, Rahway, NJ-born, Jersey City, NJ-based singer/songwriter and musician, who became a scientist and musician because of his father’s massive influence on his life. About a year within his Biochemistry, Ph.D. program, Hacha De Zola’s father died….”

"Icaro Nouveau is a dark tango, a gothic circus, a dirty, melodic cacophony you just have to love. Based in classic Latin American folk, J Hacha De Zola created his very own, unique blend of Gothic Norteño and Tango. Imagine Los Tigres del Norte combined with The Tiger Lillies ."…

J Hacha De Zola’s new album was Produced by John Agnello, a career–long cohort of another “J” – J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, and most recently the man behind albums by Waxahatchee, Nothing, and many more. Hacha De Zola describes the new album as as full of “villains, spells, desires, romance, danger. redemption, and revelations.” …

“…Sung entirely in Spanish, the four tracks here suggest what might have happened if Julio Iglesias had teamed up with Joy Division, or if Bryan Ferry had been raised in Barcelona.” - Jim Testa, Jersy Beat

BTRtoday presents the first song from the upcoming album ‘Icaro Nouveau.’…

J Hacha De Zola's "El Chuco (Hooko)" from the upcoming new album "Icaro Nouveau" kicks off this episode of BTRtoday's "Spotlight On The City" show.

The Big Takeover has a special sonic treat for those of you who are visiting the site this weekend – a premiere on a Saturday – of a dangerously delightful, whirling, and rhythmic cha-cha-cha track called, appropriately, “On A Saturday” by PASTE-approved musical “wild man” J Hacha De Zola…

Hacha De Zola – Released his four song E.P. Syn Illusión on November 16 of this year.  The E.P. which is entirely in Spanish, is raising eyebrows for not only his fans but the industry as well.  Heavy on the 80’s synth sound, the lead single and title of the album, is intriguing.  It’s as if the late Michael Hutchence decided to partner with Joy Division and create a driving, emotional opus…

“Syn Illusión” an original, all-Spanish language EP that Hacha De Zola will release on Nov. 16th via the artist’s Caballo Negro label, could very well open this man that UTNE described as “the kind of alluring character found in old children’s books” to an audience as unexpected as this release is itself…