Healthy Junkies are an antidote to a generation that’s numbed by televised talent shows by reviving the punk ethos of a time when Johnny Rotten walked down Kings Road with safety pins in his ear.
Their attitude and musical purity have earned them respect from some of their heroes such as Knox of The Vibrators, Charlie Harper of the UK Subs or Strokes producer Gordon Raphael with whom they have collaborated in the past. Describing the upcoming album ‘Box Of Chaos’, out on 20th February 2016, in their own words as a “journey which starts with a party that quickly turns to anger and dysfunction”, it is a punk statement that celebrates the values of liberty and standing up for yourself, especially in the wake of the recent terror attacks in Paris and the often imprisoning nature of a modern capitalist society. Their single ‘Watch Out’, out on 15th December 2015, paints a picture of our time in which public surveillance and dependence on technology have taken over our lives.
Formed in 2010 by UK born guitarist and singer Phil Honey-Jones and French singer Nina Courson, Healthy Junkies have established themselves in the punk scene after playing with bands such as The Damned, The Boomtown Rats, UK Subs, Walter Lure (former Heartbreakers), The Vibrators or TV Smith of The Adverts, to name a few. Over the last four years they were regular acts at Rebellion punk festival in Blackpool and have been played on various radio stations, such as TBFM which voted one of the songs on the album, ‘Danny Trash’, to number one a few weeks ago. Songwriters Nina and Phil are taking inspiration for their lyrics from everyday life, including the struggles that arise when a crazy rock’n’roll lifestyle gets to the point of mental instability and destructive behaviour. Channelling such impulses through creativity and making music is what the band uses as therapy.
Healthy Junkies’ music thrives from a mixture of often distressing life experiences and musical proficiency. Lyricist Nina has been forced to live under harsh conditions from an early age after she left home at the age of 14 and ended up living with a Muslim transvestite in Paris’ red light district Montmartre, eventually falling into the abyss of drug consumption in the realm of shady characters. Meeting Phil in 2008 has turned her life around and she started focussing her energy on creating music. As a band they have also started promoting their own regular club night called Punk’n’Roll Rendevouz at a venue in Camden which has been going for over three years now. It has been a meeting place for the UK’s underground scene ever since.
Phil started to play cello at the age of six before he moved onto guitar and discovered punk rock. His previous band Nurotica has been acknowledged by influential DJs ranging from John Peel to Rodney Bingenheimer. Personal experiences play an important part of the Healthy Junkies’ songs. The new album is especially a diary of the last two years on the road – some of the tracks were literally made up on stage. It is a document of emotional stories as well as an observation of the times we live in wrapped up in a dynamic rock’n’roll sound that touches upon influences from bands such as Nirvana, The Sex Pistols, Blondie or Elastica.
The single ‘Watch Out’ is out on 15th December 2015, the album ‘Box Of Chaos’ is out on 20th February 2016
Links:
http://www.healthyjunkies.co.uk/
www.soundcloud.com/healthyjunkies
https://twitter.com/HealthyJunkies?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.facebook.com/healthyjunkiesband/
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