Scorching Milk‘s Han Mee and Jim Shaw information us by means 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 to this point – 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. In all places you look, human rights are being ignored 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’, targeted on extra inside affairs, unravelling the intricacies of hysteria and self-doubt, ‘Company P.O.P’ was a vital 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 mentioned to me as soon as, ’does anybody even care what you’re moaning about?’” she remembers, laughing to herself. “It made me assume… ’Y’know what, honest. I’ll touch upon the issues that actually matter.’”
What else actually issues? Nicely, Manchester, in fact. Following on from Han’s quick stint dwelling in LA, the frontwoman has doubled down on her Northern pleasure. Upon realising that the American dreamland felt too pretend, 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 pleasure, 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 – properly, form 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 aspect 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 solution to make an entrance – and one which immediately distances Scorching Milk from the intense and breezy connotations of the pop-punk style. Regardless of the pair persistently striving to maintain their palette numerous, blurring the traces between emo, EDM and energy pop, they’re but to shake the pop-punk associations. “We’ve by no means preferred the label of ‘pop-punk’,” frontwoman Han Mee asserts. “We’re extra punk. The whole lot we do is extra in your face and gritty than these wet-lad pop-punk bands.”
It’s a testomony Han’s companion 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; putting the group’s mature, sobering political observations beneath a magnifying glass, the file seems like Manchester’s reply to ‘American Fool’. It’s a whirlwind of sturdy rock, rave-ready synthetics and rambunctiously British quips, trudging by means of the grit of actuality and forcing you to take word.
“Whether or not it was an enormous rock tune or an offended punk observe, we wished the sound to be as uncooked as doable,” Jim explains. “The whole lot was recorded analogue, as a result of we wished it to really feel like one among our stay exhibits.”
In Han’s thoughts, the uncooked, stay high quality ought to assist lure within the plenty. “This file generally is a rally level for individuals,” she says. “That is our mouthpiece, it’s our megaphone. We actually wrote for the stay present – I believe that’s the place the center of Scorching Milk lies – and I can’t wait to see how individuals reply at exhibits. Hopefully it provides the others the flexibility to need to choose up a megaphone as properly. We simply need individuals to free their minds and take into consideration issues in a extra crucial 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 Dangerous 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 regarded 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 firms that revenue off of perpetuating illness, to ‘INSUBORDINATE INGERLAND’’s jeering footie chants mourning the downfall of “Grave Britain”, the file desires to get individuals considering. “Typically it seems like crucial considering 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 deliver some points to the desk, spark a dialog.”
It’s a sentiment she even coyly voices on ‘INSUBORDINATE INGERLAND’; “Pay attention proper, it’s a social commentary – relax!” she sighs. Han follows it up with a cocksure proclamation of, “come and have a go when you assume you’re ‘ard sufficient!”, but it surely’s a bravado she hopes individuals 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 – at the very least it isn’t America. “I’m a bit fearful about how People would possibly reply to ‘The American Machine’,” Han says, anxiousness drenching her tone. “I hope individuals 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, when you say sure issues about Trump on Twitter, it will possibly trigger issues. However it’s an vital tune, as a result of we’re commenting on a brilliant capitalist society – they put revenue over well being. I hope it doesn’t turn into 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 scorching, the homeless don’t die of dehydration. It seems like a approach of avoiding having to mop up useless our bodies. And so they don’t have any security internet for individuals… individuals shit on England’s Common Credit score system, however at the very least we’ve it. It’s the rationale why our nation nonetheless has a stage of peacefulness and security, I believe.”
“We’ve seen all that occurred beneath Tory ruling, with individuals making an attempt to siphon off issues and privatise every part,” Jim chimes in. “It doesn’t work. Folks ought to be watching America, learning it, and realising we should always not comply with in its footsteps.”
‘Company P.O.P’ additionally assesses the harm attributable to the web, with the implications of knowledge overload already starting to influence society’s notion of actuality. “The pillars of ‘fact’ have gone fully,” Han mourns. “Whereas it’s nice that we are able to hear from all sides, it’s getting to a degree the place there’s a lot data it’s tough 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; Typically I converse to my mum, and she or he’ll be like “Have you ever seen that video?” And I’m like, Mum, that’s absolutely an AI video, it’s not true.”
Alongside false articles and digitally rendered movies muddying the waters of fact, 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] endure on tiny screens”; every part 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 would 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 individuals 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 ‘Fee of Ache’, as a result of it seems like every part in life comes with this vital fee of ache… so we’re additionally saying ache has turn into as widespread as water.”
After all, that doesn’t imply this can be a ‘pop’ file. Once more, Scorching Milk are placing a large berth between their pop and punk sides – but it surely’s one thing their label was initially fairly unsure about. “They didn’t just like the title, and the entire file is form of the antithesis of what they anticipated from us,” Han laughs. “So I suppose that’s an additional layer to the title, as a result of we wrote what we wished as a substitute of what an organization anticipated from us. We don’t bend to traits, it’s simply us artistically expressing our considerations.”
Scorching Milk’s staff had been additionally cautious in regards to the file’s paintings – a shot in an ominously darkish alleyway, the only supply of sunshine being a completely ablaze wheelie bin. The scene is topped off with an English flag, hanging out of the highest, the pink 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 alter that. “We’re not saying we’re going to burn all flags or something,” Han laughs. “Simply mentioning that there’s one thing unsuitable right here – let’s repair it!”
Shot in a again alley close to Jim’s dwelling in Manchester, the unique plan was simply to {photograph} a burning bin. The flag was a last-minute addition – but it surely was a stroke of destiny, completely and poignantly capturing the that means of the file. “I attempted to take a number of pictures, 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 upsetting.”
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 fact of an impending doomsday – and, contemplating he helped write a tune typically related to nationwide pleasure, the soccer anthem ‘Three Lions’, the function was suitably ironic.
Skinner’s function sees him wandering by means of the streets of Manchester earlier than gorging down a full English in a greasy spoon. And he was blissful to supply his companies. “He got here and spoke to us after our set at 2000trees, and we obtained chatting for ages,” Jim remembers. “He informed us he liked our music, and his son liked us. Once we had been planning our music video, he was an ideal match. We had been considering ‘He’s by no means gonna fucking do it…’ however, two days after we despatched him an e-mail, he mentioned he’d do it if we purchased him fish and chips and lined his prepare fare.”
Transferring ahead, Han, Jim and the Scorching Milk gang are hoping that ‘Company P.O.P’ encourages individuals to take motion, earlier than its too late. “This album is simply every part I’m terrified of,” Han admits. “Like, ‘Hell Is On Its Means’, it’s about oncoming nuclear, and ‘90 Seconds to Midnight’ is analogous, primarily saying that it’s a ticking timebomb in the beginning simply explodes.”
“We simply need individuals to free their thoughts just a little bit, take into consideration issues in a extra crucial approach,” she continues. Jim nods in settlement, including, “I need individuals to take heed to it and turn into extra ahead considering, much less insular. If it modifications 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 pleasure” that has by no means let her down. “Don’t get me unsuitable, 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 guess you assume you’re Rousseau.’ That’s among the finest issues about English pubs – speaking to a great deal of outdated blokes that assume they’re new-age philosophers. They’ve all obtained their fully unsuitable opinions, and I like listening to them.”
Earlier than we half methods, Han has a ultimate instruction for anybody tucking into their new file: “Pay attention, have a bev, and open your eyes.”