Those Darlins member battles cancer

Zazu was diagnosed with cancer seven months ago. In October, she learned that her cancer had metastasized, and her fight against the disease will last longer than originally anticipated. To help cover the cost of living expenses and bills, she has launched a fundraising effort.

As of late Wednesday, the effort raised more than $40,000, $10,000 above her goal.

Zazu has been working on art and music projects, including a new album.

"As most of you know, Those Darlins decided to call it quits as a band in early 2016," Zazu said in a press release. "We all mutually felt it was time to take a step back and pursue other projects, and it has been a really good decision for all of us. My plan was to continue on exploring my own musical path with my bandmate Linwood Regensburg, and we had a baby project in the oven even as we were finishing up our final blow-out tour with Those Darlins (which was a blast!)."

"Although I was in poor health during the span of that tour, I never would have guessed that a week after I arrived back to my home in Nashville, Tenn., I would be hospitalized and diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer. It came as a big shock, and my plans for making music and forging ahead in my art career suddenly took a back seat. I decided to keep the news relatively private, because I was hoping I could complete the treatment, beat the cancer and move on from a temporary road block."

"Unfortunately, this November, I found out that the cancer had already metastasized and spread through my lymphatic system, probably before I was first diagnosed. This is typically what they would call a 'no cure scenario,' but I refuse to believe that to be the case. I feel healthy, happy, hopeful, determined, positive and full of sparks and nails. In a sense: there's a tumor growing on my body, I don't know what lays in store, but I ain't afraid anymore. Yes, I guess I am a mystic mind after all."

"In these next few months, I plan to continue recording with Linwood and looking forward to a musical future with the world. I also am working on a visual art show about my experiences this year."

Zazu can be reached at P.O. Box 92017, Nashville, TN 37209.

Those Darlins, which was active between 2008 and 2016 released three albums and one EP during that time. The band had alt.-country leanings, which eventually veered more towards rock.