A complex, captivating kaleidoscope of catchy, creative songs!
London Alt Punks Healthy Junkies have just dropped their highly enticing new album, ‘Listen To The Mad‘ on their own label, Banana Castle Records.
Bringing together the key elements of New Wave, Garage, Punk Rock, Grunge, Psychedelic Rock, and Goth, their hugely compelling sound and stunning live perfromances have awarded them global distinction.
The band formed in 2010, after glamorous yet rebellious lead punkster Nina Courson moved from Paris to London, and found guitarist Phil Honey-Jones. The pair sought out new pathways together, seeking solace in the world of music, naming the band Healthy Junkies to reflect the mental health epidemic that was then, and still now, spreading like wildfire through the core of western society.
The two-piece drafted Dave Whitmore on bass, and Tony Alda on drums, and soon began to widely tour throughout the whole of the UK and Europe. New drummer David Gaut joined in 2020, bringing his fiery spirit and energy to the band. This is his first album as a Healthy Junkie!
Speaking about the album, the band say “We recorded all of the songs with Jonathon Jacobs at Audiohaus studios in London. As always with Healthy Junkies, we were compelled to make music for the sake of our own sanity. We have been inspired by what we see and hear around us. We never aim to preach but do touch on issues that are affecting many of us.”
A well-attended album launch party at Camden’s Dublin Castle last Wednesday saw the band showcase the entire album – and it sounded just as impressive live as it does on the record!
Into ‘Listen To The Mad‘ sets the scene, the band’s voices blended and distorted into an eerie fuzz. The songs kick off with second single release ‘Favourite Place‘, a hard-hitting rocker, demonstrating David Gaut’s tight drumming brilliantly! A song about escaping from the traumatic parts of life, especially in the city:
‘Self Conscious‘ is another banger, where Nina tackles the challenge of how to rise above thinking that we’re too this or too that to achieve what we want.. A positive and delightfully uplifting song with fantastic guitar work!
A change of pace with the first single released from the album ‘Desire‘ – funky, fuzzy and with a fabulous chorus, you can’t keep your feet still to this one. We all desire more freedom, and this track encourages us to really let our hair down:
Next we switch to 70s style rock in ‘Julie’s Got A Job‘. A great number about the unrealistic expectations set by ‘celebrities’, which ordinary folk can’t ever live up to. “In fame and fortune she believes” as Julie daydreams while being stuck doing mundane office work.
Third single release ‘Dead Souls‘ is a beautiful, introspective song with a fabulous melody, sung exquisitely by Nina, while Phil and Dave provide the guitar power. This is one of my favourites from HJs, the guitar solo echoing the painfully accurate description of crashing mental health.
Something very different – dub reggae done wonderfully well in ‘Son And A Daughter‘. I love this song, another you can’t keep still to, about gender identity and the bullying that people suffer as a result of not being on the binary.
Back to the guitar driven rock in ‘Media Whore‘ – about the artificial, dishonest, narcissistic ploys of the abusers on social me me media. “You spread confusion, in your delusion”. Another massive chorus, and Nina doesn’t hold back lyrically as the song concludes with a call for better protection for children.
The shortest song on the album, ‘Solitaire‘ is a gentler number about the lure of solitude in a busy and noisy world, while simultaneously trying to avoid the trap of loneliness.
The ethereal ‘Take Me To The Moon‘ is a twirling, trippy track. Superb vocal harmonies from Nina and Phil in the chorus! A positive song about enjoying your time on Earth as much as you can:
Outstanding bass from Dave Whitmore helps to make ‘Now Or Never‘ the powerhouse of a song that it is – the band really tear into this one, huge energy producing a correspondingly massive riff-fest of a track!
‘Baroness‘ calls out a certain disgraced tory peer who made the UK news for her shady business dealings, and her racist remarks. Part of the madness that is British politics!
‘Tinnitus‘ is one for all the musicians and anyone who spent too long up close to the loudspeakers at gigs! A catchy, hook-filled song, the lyrics and guitar accurately representing the auditory hell that sufferers can’t escape.
Live favourite, and latest single release ‘Lion In A Circus‘ cranks the pace up further, frenetic guitars and raw vocals evoking the feeling of being trapped inside when you want to be free.. written during lockdown. Check out the suitably zany video below!
Album closer ‘World On Fire‘ is an incendiary summation of all that’s oppressing us. The heaviest track on the record, each musician giving it 100%, it motivates you to shake your fist and scream against the man-made injustices on our planet.
It’s often said about bands that they ‘should be better known than they are’ – in Healthy Junkies’ case this is entirely justified – having played at 12 out of 13 Rebellion Festivals, all across the UK, Europe and North America, and with an impressive back catalogue of music to their name, they instantly make new fans wherever they go. ‘Listen To The Mad‘ is a very fine example of their work indeed – Healthy Junkies can deftly turn their skilled hands to any genre of music, yet still sound uniquely themselves.
‘Listen To The Mad‘ is available on CD from the band at shows, or via their webshop HERE and will be out on vinyl in February, plus another UK tour is planned for early next year! In the meantime, catch Healthy Junkies live near you:
29th Nov – Skeletal Family + support from Healthy Junkies – Keighley, UK
06th Dec- The Underground, Bradford, UK
31st Jan – Trinity, Harrow, UK
05th Jun – The Ramonas + Healthy Junkies – Worcester, UK
Keep an eye on their socials (see below) for future dates!
Main Photo Credit: RUTH RAE
- Listen To The Mad
- Favourite Place
- Self Conscious
- Desire
- Julie’s Got A Job
- Dead Souls
- Son And A Daughter
- Media Whore
- Solitaire
- Take Me To The Moon
- Now Or Never
- Baroness
- Tinnitus
- Lion In A Circus
- World On Fire
Follow Healthy Junkies on Their Socials:
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
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