Healthy Junkies

What is your FAULT? Having French and English in the same band (Remember the 100years war!) " - FAULT Magazine

Healthy Junkies is a collaboration of Banana castle record label mates Altercation and HiroshAmour.Fast, frantic and conversley as glam punk friendly as it is grunge rooted, single copycat skids and skitters through a mad 3 minutes, delighting in eluding all attempts to pin it down as a derivative of anything on the musical horizon at the moment."
- Bubblegum slut zie

"FRIDAY 21ST JANUARY **NEMESIS TO GO RECOMMENDS** HEALTHY JUNKIES, DELTA UNIT @ St. Moritz, Wardour Street, 22.00 (Healthy Junkies on stage 23.00, club to 03.30) 'Healthy Junkies are like a more rockin' Primitives...or a slightly less bonkers Queen Adreena. They kick fuzzed-out grunge riffs around with plenty of rock 'n' roll panache, but they know how to keep the pop hooks coming, too. This is an after-hours gig, as part of a rock club which runs through to the early morning.'"
- Londongigs.net

"Healthy Junkies are the newest project fostered by Altercation’s Nina Courson and Phil Honey Jones of Hiroshamour and combines their respective styles and influences into an exciting pop-grunge mix. Throw into the mix the powerful drumming of Steve Nightmare and TJay Tarantino’s punchy bass-work and the Junkies prove to be just as intriguing as their name suggests. The guitar hammers home irresistible, growling riffs showcasing incredible skill and the on-stage chemistry of the band members makes for an exciting dynamic. Healthy or junky - either way, I’m hooked. Following several single releases last year, debut album ‘Sicknote’ is due out very soon. "
- Sailing sound

"Fronted by the alternately breathless and swaggering vocals of Nina Courson, the band excel at peripherally gothic action rock, with an acid guitar solo cropping up from time to time on songs like'Manifesto' to drive the choruses kicking and stuttering over the cliff edges. At their best the band have a light-footedness to offset the thrashing: 'Famous for being famous' might be a fairly self explanatory observation of our times but the track jumps out of bed with enthusiasm before echoing 90s also-rans Sleeper with a fresh and fine chorus. Elsewhere if its thrashing you want its thrashing you'll get. 'Burn in hell' floors the accelerator with a Siouxie-gone-garage chorus while 'Exile' burns out the album to a description of 'Staring at your bedroom walls at dead rock stars', while Courson does a fairly realistic impression of a vampire flying in a bath tub of holy water. Cracking stuff." - Artrocker magazine

"Healthy Junkies are a highly touted female fronted band from London. They formed in 2009 when Lead Singer Nina Courson met Phil Honey-Jones. They were both in separate bands but sparks began flying... The first song they wrote together is my personal favorite track on this CD called "Glam Sister" They have already had two hit singles from this CD "Copycat" and "Trash My Love". The band is pumping a third single "Manifesto" . Paris born Nina Courson also adds vocals to the new Bubblegum Screw which was just recently released.. All in all this band is a fun pop/punk band with alot of potential.. On September 29th they plan a CD release party at The Dublin Castle Camden Town..." - Punk Globe

"Wrapped inside this trashy, cheap 'n' nasty looking DIY CD cover is possibly one of the nicest little surprise albums I have had to review this year. This female-fronted four piece hail from London and deliver 13 tracks of blistering, trashy, punky glam rock. Formed in 2009 by singer Nina Courson and guitarist Phil Honey-Jones, a shared love of Iggy Pop, Blondie and Nirvana brought them together and, backed by the wonderfully named Tjay Tarantino on bass and Steve Nightmare on drums, they bring us their debut offering, 'Sick Note'. Opener 'Copycat' is a song about a dispute between two girls over the theft of music and lyrics. It starts funnily enough with a nicked riff from D Generation's 'No Way Out' and then as Nina sings the first line we are in a NY Loose state of mind and that's fine by me, the world could sure do with another Brijitte West at the moment. The guitars sound like they are aimed from the crotch which is what I want from my rock 'n' roll, don't you?,,,,, " - Uber Rock

Sick Note: Interesting band these are! They describe themselves as grunge but I'd say there's a lot more to them than that! There's other musical influences thrown in the pot especially that of new wave. Damn! They even have a rock n roll tune thrown in there too! Nina the vocalist stands out here – Fantastic voice which fits so well with the music. Musically the band certainly knows how to play and their diversity shines through. Fave tunes for me include 'Copycat', 'Manifesto', Famous For Being Famous' and 'Big Dreams Of Tomorrow'. I hope that people check this band out simply because 'Sick Note' is one of those albums that is both creative and good listening experience. 8/10 - Street voice

Taking the best qualities of rock,punk and grunge, these London rockers create a flawless old-school sound.Vocalist Nina Courson leads the band with her harmonic yet punky voice.The songs represent the 'don't give a shit' attitude of punk and the melodies are energetic rock with constant drum rhythms and guitar lines. Healthy Junkies have definitely made a name for themselves with this record. They play numerous shows in the London area and are planning a U.K. tour for next year so don't miss out on the latest and best of the DIY underground - Big cheese magazine

The Healthy Junkies belong to a new British underground generation of bands counteracting the predominance of pop music in the Charts. On the scene for less than two years their debut album is a collection of 80's and 90's music gendres revamped in a modern and genuine style. The rock and roll spirit of the likes of Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth and Killing Joke can be felt in vocalist Nina, this extravagant mermaide whose attitude reminds a little of Blondie. This is garage rock at its best with some punk flavour witch manifest itself in 13 juicy tunes, energetic and fun to listen to but at times moody and deeper. "Copycat" and "Manifesto" are singles on a winning formula, others like "Trash My Love" and "Little Groupie" are frantic. There is a cover of T-Rex "20 Century Boy" which in itself is a reminder to us of their musical background. This band is very focused and active by playing quite a few gigs in England and just back from a mini-tour of France. - Dageisha.com

"Just what should you expect from a band named Healthy Junkies and an album titled ‘Sick Note’? Junkie isn’t a term exclusive to Class A drugs; it can also be used to describe a personality trait that features a very strong enthusiasm for some particular activity. By their choice of name I sense that Healthy Junkies seek to challenge stereotypes and this ‘Sick Note’ summarises their ‘symptoms’. The lead track is ‘Copycat’, but I certainly can’t accuse the band of being copycats. They promote themselves as a Rock/Punk/Grunge/Glam band – as I’ve said before I prefer to look beyond such genre claims and decide simply, do I like! After all any one genre will inevitable include excellent acts as well as others who “could do better”. The track has no build up – from the first chords it’s there and ‘in your face’ with clear indications in the lyrics of previous disappointments.Nina’s distinctive voice helps to ensure that a recognisable sense of identity " - Generate radio

"Pop punk with a French accent courtesy of London based Healthy Junkies. Stripped-down production and straight-forward writing give this debut a real 70s era vibe. Nina Courson has a great voice for this, at once aggressive and innocent. She is backed up by Phil Honey-Jones, who also does a fine job on the guitar, as well as taking the lead vocal on Beaten Dog. They do a good line in addictive songs with a bounce and energy to them even when there's an angry element, starting with opener Copycat, about betrayal in a friendship. Lyrical inspiration tends to social commentary-Famous for being famous on the fleeting nature and hazards of pursuing reality TV fame, and Manifesto on the death of youthful idealism. Frozen Fields is one of the few down-beat tracks but even the darker minor-key rhythms are infectious. The sole cover among the originals is a faster-paced version of T-Rex's "20th Century Boy", done decently enough but an odd choice for a female vocalist. Promising debut." - Blackvelvet magazine

"Melodic French edge meets English grunt" - Trebuchet magazine

"A mix of trashy rock'n'roll and glam/punk, perhaps with a few gothic undertones. actually, its a pretty nice balance between pop and harder edged-moments. Not entirely focused but certainly a good debut. Probably a band to watch out for. - Fear and loathing zine

"The Healthy Junkies kick butt, and they are a great antidote to boring sound alike pop songs." - Bear rambling

"Make way for some fresh and fine punk rock-inspired jams infused with a badass female vocalist hailing from Paris. Healthy Junkies is a breath of fresh air, because their music is a unique style that has not been experimented with since the Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and has not been exposed to the pop and rap generation we live in today. . Courson has a hint of early Gwen Stefani (a ’90s No Doubt) in her voice, making her easy to sing along to and head bang with. “Manifesto,” “Trash My Love” and “20th Century Boy” are the tracks on the album that seem to hold the most power, infused with heart melting electric guitar and blood pumping drums. I welcome this new find that can finally hold their own individuality while reigniting the grunge/punk rock flame of the ’80s and ’90s. Courson is a goddess in her ability to scream, yell and be loud while also being soft and delicate while maintaining constant vocal terrorization. This is definitely a band that will" - FSU news

"This London quartet began in early 2010, when British guitarist Phil Honey-Jones and French vocalist Nina Courson wrote a song ("Glam Sister", here) for a friend's birthday party. The fantastic, hard charging opener "Copycat" (which addresses an actual music theft case between two Parisian women, who reconciled after making cameos in the song's video !) introduces their sound: catchy, driving pop/punk with hints of glam and new wave, anchored by bassist TJay Tarentino's and newest drummer Steve Nightmare's potent rhythms, and Honey-Jones hurricane force guitars. Best, the smart, stylish, and self-assured Courson is a hugely appealing frontwoman, with an expressive voice that recalls The Rezillos' Fay Fife, Ivy's Dominique Durand, and Echobelly's Sonya Madan. With 13 could-be singles (including a ripping cover of T-Rex's 1973 U.K. #3 '20th Century Boy'), Sick Note is a most engaging and invigorating debut." - Big takeover magazine

"It’s reassuring to find a band who is passionate about making music that isn’t generic or run-of-the-mill. And if you’re going to be a Junkie, may as well be a Healthy one! Healthy Junkies are a refreshing sound that you don’t hear a lot of these days. They blend a few genres together. Their songs tend to have a kind of dark feeling to them. That is to say, I would hardly consider the music to be happy-go-lucky, sunshine and rainbows. But despite that darkness, Healthy Junkies tends to keep their songs rather upbeat and fast paced. At times their music blurs the lines of genres, as all good music tends to do. You’re not sure if you’re listening to Pop Rock, Thrash Rock, Grunge, Punk. What matters is how wonderfully surprising the vocals of Nina Courson are. She can be loud when needed or soft, yet intimidating, at any given point of a song. There’s a feistiness that shines through in their songs. An attitude that radiates out saying, “I could kick your ass”. - Marsband

"HEALTHY JUNKIES came to me courtesy of MySpace when I was surfing the new one day. A decision that I haven’t regretted once since then. This is some pretty cool punk rock/”hardrock” that should be checked out. Anders Ekdahl ©2012" - Battlehelm

" Healthy Junkies, also hailing from London, provided an altogether different feel, closely reminiscent of 'Hole', with Parisian vocalist Nina shining rays of Courtney Love across the small entourage of personal friends and gyrating onlookers. Showcasing several songs from their debut album 'Sick Note' including new single 'Manifesto' they added a glam-grunge essence with moments of elaborate guitar work 'wah-wah' distortion that would have sent Hendrix rushing to his studio." - Terrorizer

"Healthy Junkies are also at home to a bit of the old punk rock spirit, but they are interesting. They take their punk influence a lot further than crash-and-bash.There's a certain perky glam about the band, too, and a pop sensibility which keeps everything catchy and acesssible even when the guitar gets crunchy. And, indeed, the guitar does get crunchy. Healthy Junkies songs are spunky, choppy, chunks of rock 'n' roll energy, with vocalist Nina fronting the band's backstreet glam racket with good humoured charm and a pair of purple Doc Martens. 'Manifesto' is the band's new, naggingly catchy, hit in the making: a slice of alternopop that pitches up somewhere between Penetration and Transvision Vamp. Healthy Junkies join the dots between punk, glam and pop with a cheerfully gritty charm." - Nemesis to go