HOT MILK have released the rampant "Insubordinate Ingerland," a quintessentially tongue-in-cheek take on the band's home turf, their own accidental football anthem. It might be dressed up as an open-top bus parade, but the song's sarcastic undertone encapsulates the album in a nutshell.
"A necessary excursion that was born quickly and forcibly. We had no choice in this song coming out of us, probably the quickest song we ever wrote lyrically. In modern-day England, it is difficult to know where we stand in a wishy washy world of identity politics. Who are we? Who are they telling us we are? What do we stand for? Why is the poverty gap widening? Why are old people freezing? Why is the NHS in disarray? Is our culture just the pub? But I love the pub? Is that bad? Am I just on the bevs to forget the bollocks outside? I’m so confused. This song is just that, a confused, hyperbolic look and an aggravated poke at ourselves. I'm England til I die… because I have no choice and this place might be the death of me yet," says Han Mee.
Jim Shaw continues, "The fun thing about 'Insubordinate Ingerland' is that Han has had that tattooed on her terribly for a number of years as a sort of reflection as to the crumbling state of a nation that tends to do what it wants. For better or for worse. She thought, 'Fuck it, let's turn my stupid stick 'n' poke into a song' and here we are. What's extra fun about this song is that we roped in so many mates to make it… the gang vocals were recorded by Jim in his front room in Salford with all our mates after tea one night. The video was shot in Bolton with our mates as extras and our long-term collaborator and friend Kennedy as director. It looks a lot more expensive than it was…Good lad, Kennedy."
Hot Milk's sophomore album, Corporation P.O.P is set for release on June 27 via Music For Nations.
Pre-order the album here.
If Hot Milk's 2023 debut album A CALL TO THE VOID was the band's high-octane mission statement, the world isn’t ready to meet its fierce, rough-and-ready older sibling. Roaring into their next era, Hot Milk now proudly present Corporation P.O.P. — an extravagant, uncompromising assessment of the perilous world around us, examined through a sharp British lens that is both witty and universal.
Corporation P.O.P, produced by Jim Shaw, Zach Jones, and KJ Strock, offers the band at their heaviest with their raw, unapologetic lyrics which brim with unfiltered emotion. The record serves as part social commentary, showing the darker side to the world which they found themselves surrounded by when writing the record, all the while keeping their light, mocking humor throughout.
"Corporation P.O.P is a flurry of thoughts, feelings, ramblings from the answers 'n questions about where we’re at right now in England, the further western world and emotionally. It is an entry from the perspective of us lot who live a dichotomy of months in faraway lands and then experience the sudden grounding of returning home to Salford. It's hard not to compare, contrast, and try to understand. P.O.P = Payment of Pain. We all must live with the burden of modernity and this pain has been commodified; we all must pay. 'Corporation pop' itself is a term Hans grandad used to refer to the water supply, something that runs throughout all our homes, just as current events run through us all," says Jim Shaw.
Shaw continues, "Not saying we have the answers but the conversation should ALWAYS be open, bring logic and evidence, and everyone should be able to change their mind, we are never finished articles. In a time where the doomsday clock ticks closer and warfare looms, it seems prudent to look introspectively into the human condition and attempt to understand the bigger picture to find a solution. The truth about ourselves can lie somewhere in between, and the imperfections can be difficult to accept for some.
"Violence through expression, warfare through persuasion and I will cause irritation through takin the piss n goin' slightly above my station. Fuck it, that's where the fun lies. It doesn't always need to be said with a straight face."
The album was written and recorded both in their Salford flat and a live room in LA, producing songs that capture that live energy they are known for, with new tracks are poised for stages the world over.
"We wanted to bring it home on this record, shooting videos/photos in our backyards and out and about in Salford. This is about us, so visually it should be about us too. Written in northern Hollywood and a bedroom in Salford opposite an Aldi, this is a true juxtaposition of an album," says Han Mee.
The album will be available as Color LP, Band Store Exclusive LP, and CD.
REMAINING U.S. SPRING TOUR DATES AND FESTIVALS:
5/10 — Denver, CO — Summit Music Hall
5/11 — Salt Lake City, UT — Soundwell
5/13 — Seattle, WA — El Corazon
5/14 — Portland, OR — Star Theater
5/16 — Sacramento, CA — Goldfield Trading Post
5/17 — Los Angeles, CA — Echoplex
5/18 — Phoenix, AZ — Ben's Bells Project / Phoenix Studio
5/20 — Dallas, TX — Trees
7/26 & 7/27 — Long Beach, CA — Warped Tour 2025
9/19 — Lousiville, KY — Louder Than Life Festival
10/2 — Sacramento, CA — Aftershock Festival
ABOUT HOT MILK:
HOT MILK have blossomed over the course of three self-produced EPs and a Top 40 album. This constant stream of releases has meant that Hot Milk were never away from the spotlight — or the stages they call home. Their rise has taken them to stadium support slots with Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Green Day, Limp Bizkit, Pale Waves, and more. They have graced the main stages of the best festivals in Europe, America, South America, and Australia. An appearance on Jimmy Kimmel in the U.S., BBC Radio 1 playlists, covers of UK media, and their own headline sold-out tours, to over 120 million streams to date. The band also released a documentary, Kaleidoscope Of The Abyss, in Summer 2024.