Scorching Milk‘s Han Mee and Jim Shaw information us by way of the creation of the band’s second album, ‘Company P.O.P’, out on June 27 by way of Music For Nations.
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England is burning – and Scorching Milk are right here to douse the flames. In an period of mass desensitisation and commodified distress, the Mancunians are unleashing ‘Company P.O.P’ onto the world, a rip-roaring burst of socio-political alt rock condemning the insidious realities of company management. It’s Scorching Milk’s most political feat so far – and one they insist was a very long time coming.
Spearheaded by the outspoken Han Mee and industrious Jim Shaw, the rambunctious pair have been harbouring political resentment for years. 2025, nevertheless, has tipped them over the sting. All over the place you look, human rights are being neglected in favour of revenue, “We had no selection, actually,” Han says with a frown. “We simply needed to say one thing – what else was I going to write down about?”
Whereas their 2023 debut, ‘A Name To The Void’, centered on extra inner affairs, unravelling the intricacies of tension and self-doubt, ‘Company P.O.P’ was a essential shift of focus. With an obsessive and ever-growing fanbase, the band felt it was about time to step up onto their soapbox and make a distinction. And Han’s dad would function the ultimate straw, spurring the frontwoman into motion.
“My Dad simply stated to me as soon as, ’does anybody even care what you’re moaning about?’” she recollects, laughing to herself. “It made me assume… ’Y’know what, honest. I’ll touch upon the issues that actually matter.’”
What else actually issues? Effectively, Manchester, in fact. Following on from Han’s brief stint dwelling in LA, the frontwoman has doubled down on her Northern delight. Upon realising that the American dreamland felt too faux, she returned to her roots – the attract of gritty cornershops, rough-around-the-edges pubs and a correct pint was an excessive amount of to withstand. All through, ‘Company P.O.P’ additionally sprinkles in loads of Mancunian delight, from music movies set in Salford to ‘Swallow This’ paying tribute to Manchester’s rave scene.
With a rock-solid sense of self and ample company fury, this file showcases Scorching Milk at their most mature – effectively, sort of. Whereas the file toys with three half harmonies, sweltering waltz actions, and arena-worthy riffs, there’s nonetheless loads of cheeky, unpretentious lyricisms. Its punk rage served with a facet of snot-nosed defiance, Han and Jim balancing eye-rolling sarcasm and sharp fury all through every observe.
So, with out additional adieu, let’s dive into the center, soul and socio-political whirlwind of ‘Company P.O.P’.
THE SOUND
As opener ‘(How Do I) Make The Satan Fall Asleep’ booms into life, ‘Company P.O.P’s end-of-days gloom unfurls with a vengeance. Urged on by a foreboding bassline, the observe serves because the file’s mission assertion; we “can’t depend on lullabies” to melt 2025’s nightmarish political turmoil, so the one reply is to confront the problems head-on.
It’s an unflinching option to make an entrance – and one which immediately distances Scorching Milk from the brilliant and breezy connotations of the pop-punk style. Regardless of the pair constantly striving to maintain their palette various, blurring the traces between emo, EDM and energy pop, they’re but to shake the pop-punk associations. “We’ve by no means appreciated the label of ‘pop-punk’,” frontwoman Han Mee asserts. “We’re extra punk. Every part we do is extra in your face and gritty than these wet-lad pop-punk bands.”
It’s a testomony Han’s associate in crime, Jim Shaw, firmly agrees with, noting how even their introspective 2023 debut, ‘A CALL TO THE VOID’, was scattered with political undertones. Hopefully, the punk rock ethos of ‘Company P.O.P’ ought to do the trick; inserting the group’s mature, sobering political observations underneath a magnifying glass, the file looks like Manchester’s reply to ‘American Fool’. It’s a whirlwind of sturdy rock, rave-ready synthetics and rambunctiously British quips, trudging by way of the grit of actuality and forcing you to take word.
“Whether or not it was an enormous rock tune or an indignant punk observe, we wished the sound to be as uncooked as doable,” Jim explains. “Every part was recorded analogue, as a result of we wished it to really feel like certainly one of our stay exhibits.”
In Han’s thoughts, the uncooked, stay high quality ought to assist lure within the plenty. “This file could be a rally level for folks,” she says. “That is our mouthpiece, it’s our megaphone. We actually wrote for the stay present – I feel that’s the place the center of Scorching Milk lies – and I can’t wait to see how folks reply at exhibits. Hopefully it offers the others the power to need to decide up a megaphone as effectively. We simply need folks to free their minds and take into consideration issues in a extra essential approach.”
THE LYRICS
Whereas ‘Company P.O.P’ amps up Scorching Milk’s political agenda, frontwoman Han’s fury has been brewing since her teen years. Weaned on the likes of The Replacements, Lifeless Kennedys, and Unhealthy Faith, the daring, outspoken Mancunian has been gearing up for a file like ‘Company P.O.P’ all her life. “It feels pure for us to do that – I grew up on political punk music, it’s a part of my DNA,” she says. “I went to college and studied politics due to the music I grew up with – it was about time we wrote a file that appeared extra outwards.”
All through ‘Company P.O.P’, Scorching Milk drop verbal grenades then run for canopy. From ‘The American Machine’s commentary on corrupt pharmaceutical corporations that revenue off of perpetuating illness, to ‘INSUBORDINATE INGERLAND’’s jeering footie chants mourning the downfall of “Grave Britain”, the file desires to get folks pondering. “Generally it looks like essential pondering abilities are at an all time low,” Han explains. “With the file, we’re making an attempt to touch upon it in a tongue-in-cheek approach. I simply need to convey some points to the desk, spark a dialog.”
It’s a sentiment she even coyly voices on ‘INSUBORDINATE INGERLAND’; “Hear proper, it’s a social commentary – relax!” she sighs. Han follows it up with a cocksure proclamation of, “come and have a go for those who assume you’re ‘ard sufficient!”, nevertheless it’s a bravado she hopes folks take with a pinch of salt. Primarily, don’t shoot the messenger – it’s not her fault England is fucked.
Although, England does have one factor going for it – a minimum of it isn’t America. “I’m a bit fearful about how People may reply to ‘The American Machine’,” Han says, anxiousness drenching her tone. “I hope folks know I’m talking in regards to the authorities, not People. I’m fairly scared about not getting let into the nation once more… Y’know, for those who say sure issues about Trump on Twitter, it will possibly trigger issues. However it’s an essential tune, as a result of we’re commenting on a brilliant capitalist society – they put revenue over well being. I hope it doesn’t grow to be like that over right here.”
“I’ve been to locations like Portland, Oregon, and it actually does put it into perspective,” she continues. “They’ve let the homelessness scenario will get so out of hand – they’ve put water fountains on the street in order that when it will get actually sizzling, the homeless don’t die of dehydration. It looks like a approach of avoiding having to mop up lifeless our bodies. They usually don’t have any security internet for folks… folks shit on England’s Common Credit score system, however a minimum of we’ve it. It’s the explanation why our nation nonetheless has a stage of peacefulness and security, I feel.”
“We’ve seen all that occurred underneath Tory ruling, with folks making an attempt to siphon off issues and privatise all the pieces,” Jim chimes in. “It doesn’t work. Folks ought to be watching America, finding out it, and realising we must always not observe in its footsteps.”
‘Company P.O.P’ additionally assesses the injury attributable to the web, with the results of data overload already starting to influence society’s notion of actuality. “The pillars of ‘reality’ have gone utterly,” Han mourns. “Whereas it’s nice that we will hear from all sides, it’s getting to some extent the place there’s a lot data it’s troublesome to determine the place the reality lies. It’s getting more durable to be goal as a result of some data isn’t even actual; Generally I communicate to my mum, and he or she’ll be like “Have you ever seen that video?” And I’m like, Mum, that’s totally an AI video, it’s not true.”
Alongside false articles and digitally rendered movies muddying the waters of reality, the file’s opening observe additionally notes how our “Demise is televised” at each flip. ‘The American Machine’ additional cements the concept, noting how we “Watch [people] undergo on tiny screens”; all the pieces is filmed and put on-line these days, and it’s resulted in a complete “Lack of compassion”, Jim argues. “You have a look at your telephone, see essentially the most terrible factor you possibly can presumably think about, then get on along with your day,” he says. “Everyone seems to be desensitised.”
THE ARTWORK & TITLE
As ‘Swallow This’ unravels with a thump of rousing EDM and slick riffs, the observe focuses on how the media and authorities “inject” ideas into the plenty, forcing folks to “swallow” down data designed to maintain them satiated and desensitised. This notion is foundational to ‘Company P.O.P’, with the album title implying that the consumption of company lies is as widespread and customary as consuming faucet water.
“Company pop is what my granddad used to name water from the faucet,” Han explains. “So it’s this company factor that is available in and infects everybody’s households. P.O.P additionally stands for ‘Cost of Ache’, as a result of it looks like all the pieces in life comes with this essential cost of ache… so we’re additionally saying ache has grow to be as frequent as water.”
In fact, that doesn’t imply it is a ‘pop’ file. Once more, Scorching Milk are placing a large berth between their pop and punk sides – nevertheless it’s one thing their label was initially fairly unsure about. “They didn’t just like the identify, and the entire file is sort of the antithesis of what they anticipated from us,” Han laughs. “So I suppose that’s an additional layer to the identify, as a result of we wrote what we wished as a substitute of what a company anticipated from us. We don’t bend to tendencies, it’s simply us artistically expressing our considerations.”
Scorching Milk’s crew had been additionally cautious in regards to the file’s paintings – a shot in an ominously darkish alleyway, the only real supply of sunshine being a completely ablaze wheelie bin. The scene is topped off with an English flag, hanging out of the highest, the purple and white of the Saint George’s cross scorched by flames. As Han places it, it’s primarily commenting on how England is within the bin, and it’s as much as us to vary that. “We’re not saying we’re going to burn all flags or something,” Han laughs. “Simply mentioning that there’s one thing fallacious right here – let’s repair it!”
Shot in a again alley close to Jim’s house in Manchester, the unique plan was simply to {photograph} a burning bin. The flag was a last-minute addition – nevertheless it was a stroke of destiny, completely and poignantly capturing the which means of the file. “I attempted to take just a few images, they didn’t actually come out proper,” she says. “So, I scanned across the alley, and I assumed ‘let’s put this England flag within the bin’. It felt proper – like commenting on nationalism in a approach that’s thought frightening.”
THE FUTURE
One other approach Scorching Milk had been capable of deal with English nationalism got here within the type of a collaboration with Frank Skinner. Whereas Jim is fast to insist Skinner is a “pretty chap”, the comic starred within the video for ‘90 Seconds To Midnight’, embodying the “archetypal British man” brainwashed by dystopian ranges of company management and governmental lies. As Skinner walks round in a daze, he’s blind to the truth of an impending doomsday – and, contemplating he helped write a tune typically related to nationwide delight, the soccer anthem ‘Three Lions’, the function was suitably ironic.
Skinner’s function sees him wandering by way of the streets of Manchester earlier than gorging down a full English in a greasy spoon. And he was completely happy to supply his companies. “He got here and spoke to us after our set at 2000trees, and we acquired chatting for ages,” Jim recollects. “He instructed us he cherished our music, and his son cherished us. After we had been planning our music video, he was an ideal match. We had been pondering ‘He’s by no means gonna fucking do it…’ however, two days after we despatched him an e-mail, he stated he’d do it if we purchased him fish and chips and coated his practice fare.”
Transferring ahead, Han, Jim and the Scorching Milk gang are hoping that ‘Company P.O.P’ encourages folks to take motion, earlier than its too late. “This album is simply all the pieces I’m terrified of,” Han admits. “Like, ‘Hell Is On Its Approach’, it’s about oncoming nuclear, and ‘90 Seconds to Midnight’ is analogous, primarily saying that it’s a ticking timebomb at the beginning simply explodes.”
“We simply need folks to free their thoughts somewhat bit, take into consideration issues in a extra essential approach,” she continues. Jim nods in settlement, including, “I need folks to take heed to it and grow to be extra ahead pondering, much less insular. If it adjustments even one individual’s opinion, then that’s nice.”
Regardless of the devastating realities we’ve been dissecting, Han does word one supply of “English delight” that has by no means let her down. “Don’t get me fallacious, I do like listening to individuals who have completely ridiculous opinions generally,” she chuckles. “In ‘90 Seconds To Midnight’, there’s a lyric: ‘Three pints down, and I wager you assume you’re Rousseau.’ That’s probably the greatest issues about English pubs – speaking to a great deal of previous blokes that assume they’re new-age philosophers. They’ve all acquired their utterly fallacious opinions, and I like listening to them.”
Earlier than we half methods, Han has a remaining instruction for anybody tucking into their new file: “Hear, have a bev, and open your eyes.”
