Jessicka is best known for her band Jack Off Jill. Although they may never have topped the charts or headlined Madison Square Garden their contribution to gothic-alt rock as well as the Grrl Band Revolution isn't any less important. Disbanding at the end of 2000, they left their fans with a masterpiece, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers. Jessicka, born Jessicka Fodera grew up in a small town ironically called 'Sunrise' Florida, though after dropping her surname there was nothing sunny about her. Jessicka met Michelle Inhell, Tenni Ah Cha Cha, and Robin Moulder and the first incarnation of Jack Off Jill was born. Jessicka's band got a their jump start when they began opening for fellow Floridian and long time friend Marilyn Manson and his shock rock outfit dubbed Marilyn Manson And The Spooky Kids. The fierce female foursome quickly became one of the most exciting and controversial underground bands during their heyday and it wasn't much of a surprise.
With gut-wrenching lyrics, angelica to banshee-like delivery, catchy songs, and shocking on stage antics that included stripping young men on stage while the band and crowd taunted the exposed fans as well as covering the audience with spit and real blood and candy-covered razors. Jessicka even spent a night in jail after her and Manson were arrested after a 1994 concert in Jacksonville Florida after being accused by the town's Christian Coalition for breaking the town's adult entertainment codes.
Though she never claimed to be a shock rocker, she was often labeled as one. Jack Off Jill had more in common with riot grrl acts such as Babes In Toyland than they did with Marilyn Manson, who Jack Off Jill would later be constantly compared too. It did not help that Jessicka's long relationship with Twiggy, bass guitarist for the now infamous band, was also in the spotlight. It is said that most of Twiggy's signature grade school ghoulie, dead girl, kinder goth look was taken from her, making critics' comparisons draw even closer.
Jack Off Jill released several independent records: Children 5 And Up, The Boygrinder Sessions, Cannibal Song Book, (produced by JOJ & Manson) Cockroach Waltz, and several 7 inches on Jessicka's own label Rectum Records, all before her 22nd Birthday.
It was not until she 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.
Soon after Jack Off Jill caught the eyes and ears of Risk Records, who signed them in January of '97. They replaced both Ah Cha Cha and Inhell with new members because they were not ready to leave the Sunshine State. The band released their first national 7" "Girl Scout/American Made" in March and on September 9th, their full-length "Sexless Demons and Scars" (produced by Don Fleming- Sonic Youth & Hole) was released to an awaiting mainstream public.
After a moderate underground success and touring with Lords Of Acid and playing to sold-out crowds in 1997, they headed to Los Angeles and completed 98's Covetous Creature a remix EP of songs from Sexless Demons and Scars with the help of SMP (Scott Putesky) founding member of Marilyn Manson and new drummer Claudia. The new manifestation of Jack Off Jill hit the road on a national tour with Psychotica, joined along the way by Switchblade Symphony.
Stronger lyrics and a growing musical maturity were evident in the evolution of the band's new songs. New material was road-tested in March of '99 when they were asked to take the opening slot on the Marilyn Manson/Monster Magnet/Hole tour after Hole departed. The two core members, Jessicka and Robin, enlisted the help of Los Angeles musicians Clinton Walsh and Norm Block for the tour.
In 2000, after another small lineup change to include Hellen Storer of Fluffy fame, JOJ released their second full length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers on Risk Records (Produced by Chris Vrenna, NIN)- right as the label was preparing to close it's doors. Due to pressure, poor publicity for CHGF, several line up changes, tension between founding members Jessicka and Robin, and management problems; Jack Off Jill called it quits in late 2000.
Since Jack Off Jill's demise, Jessicka has done work with Kevin Haskins (a founding member of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and Tones on Tail), Clear Hearts Grey Flowers' producer Chris Vrenna, Whit Crane's band Medication, Meegs (Coal Chamber), Samantha Maloney, Mark Ryden, My Ruin, Nadja Peulen (Coal Chamber), Dirty Harry from the UK, Anna K. and Martina Axen From Drain STH, and Roman Dirge - horror comic genius and master magician
After taking a year hiatus from fronting her own band Jessicka formed her new band Scarling. in September 2001.
Source: http://sweetcherrie.com/rockdivas/viewart.php?artid=173
