"Krone" interview

Hot Milk: “There’s a new Oasis in the neighborhood”

Hannah Mee and Jim Shaw (center) are the brains, heart and soul of the up-and-coming Manchester collective Hot Milk.

(Bild: Shin Miura)

The industrial city of Manchester remains a hotbed for exciting global guitar music. Hot Milk, for example, are currently well on their way to conquering the scene with their sound. Before their gig in Vienna, Hannah Mee and Jim Shaw answered our questions in the "Krone" interview.

On the one hand, Manchester is a rainy industrial city in the heart of England, characterized by high unemployment and little prosperity. On the other hand, it is the epicenter of two of the most popular soccer clubs in the world and the breeding ground of a whole phalanx of British music legends. Joy Division and their successor band New Order, the Stone Roses, The Smiths, the Hollies, of course Oasis and, yes, even Take That have their roots there. Hot Milk also want to join this ranks of big names in the foreseeable future. Han Mee and Jim Shaw, the two brains behind the project, met many years ago via Tinder and initially fell in love. They no longer share a bed, but they do share a table and a band. While Mee worked as a promoter for local gigs in Manchester, Shaw was employed as a lighting technician. It was almost a foregone conclusion that after various bands and projects, they would one day work together in earnest.

Rapid ride to the top
In January 2018, the world changed radically for the two extroverted jokers. After the unexpected death of a mutual friend, the two of them first poured themselves a drink and, alongside a steadily emptying bottle of wine, wrote the grief recovery song "Take Your Jacket" on acoustic guitar in just 25 minutes. More songs followed and, in true old-school style, demo tapes were sent anonymously to knowledgeable scene experts. After the feedback was positive, the duo went all out and recruited a management team and a backing band in order to be successful live. After the first EP "Are You Feeling Alive?" in 2019, things happened very quickly. Sony sub-company Music For Nations signed them during the pandemic, and the EPs "I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I'm Dead" (2021) and "The King And Queen Of Gasoline" (2022) cemented their status as a seminal rock band between the stools.

Live concerts are now commonplace again and Hot Milk can show their true colors: Stage animals with a penchant for energetic eccentricity. Just under six months ago, for example, they wowed audiences on the main stage of the Nova Rock Festival. They performed there back in 2022 on a smaller scale and in a more challenging setting due to the weather. "We can still remember that very well," they laugh in the joint Krone interview, "back then, a tractor had to pull our van out of the mud so that we could even get to the stage. That was pretty special." In addition to two years more live experience, Hot Milk also had their internationally acclaimed debut album "A Call To The Void", released in 2023, with them this year. "We prefer the big stage, after all, we're narcissists," laughs Shaw mischievously. The two bundles of energy never run out of banter. "But seriously - we also have a lot of self-doubt. But as an artist on stage, you have to cover them up. A certain amount of tension is definitely necessary."

Music for all emotions
From a purely musical point of view, Hot Milk hit right at the heart of the Generation Z they are targeting. Musically, they meander through a mixture of emo, pop, rock, alternative, indie and electronic music in the same vein as acts such as Paramore, Yungblud and All Time Low. Everything can, nothing has to. "That's the result of Generation Playlist," laughs Mee, "the days when someone only listened to Slayer and a handful of similar bands are definitely over. You can also see that in the festival billings. People want to hear different sounds. They want something for all the emotions that we all experience. Just look at how many young metalheads are into Post Malone - that wouldn't have happened 20 years ago." Lyrically, the two of them explore deeper areas. It's about fears and insecurities, setbacks and worries, but also about social criticism. Mee studied political science for a while and can't be fooled in this area.

"We can only write from our own wealth of experience - anything else is not possible. If you don't write genuinely and openly about love, how does that sound? Artificial intelligence could do that, but that would probably be pretty soulless." Hot Milk are young enough not to demonize technological enhancements per se. "There are only twelve keys in all of music. So it's understandable that after a good 60 years of pop history, the innovations will eventually run out. Perhaps AI can provide new innovations, but it won't succeed without bands and musicians who create a soulful superstructure." Because songwriting is so personal, it can also be stressful for the pair. "Have you ever had an hour with a therapist? After that, you're completely exhausted. That's how we feel about the songs too, but it's definitely worth it. If we held back, we'd be lying to ourselves and everyone else. That's not an option."

Freedom to change
As is usual with younger bands from the rock and electric guitar sector, the bond with the fans is a very close one that works on an equal footing. This allows Hot Milk to be stylistically intangible. "It would be the worst thing if we repeated ourselves or if someone accused us of copying a recipe for success from ourselves. Life is interesting when you push and challenge yourself. It's also nice to see how you develop. Thank God we have a fanbase that knows and appreciates this and supports our changes. We couldn't run this band if we didn't give ourselves the freedom to change." Hot Milk are aware that bands are discovered differently today. "And visually. Thanks to TikTok and the like, it often happens that kids put the bands on the bus on silent and first watch a video and then decide whether they want to listen to them. This is a new dimension in the music business that is not irrelevant for younger bands."

Interestingly, with the increasing success of recent years, the two feel less pressure. "We feel more secure because people know and like us. That gives us the freedom to be who we are in a much more unfiltered way." Speaking of Manchester - legend has it that Hot Milk formed in the same apartment where Noel Gallagher wrote the Oasis masterpiece "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?". "It's funny that we both live in Salford. Right next to Manchester. It's kind of the B side of the city," laughs Shaw, "we love Oasis of course and all the other bands - except Morrissey, he's not going anywhere. But I don't carry Liam Gallagher around with me as a picture in my vest pocket. But Manchester is the best city in the world and you can tell people there's new Oasis in the neighborhood. Maybe I should make stickers where I draw a line through Oasis to symbolize the new generation of Manchester music."

Live in Vienna
On Monday, November 18, Hot Milk will be supporting Palaye Royale for the first time live in Vienna at the Gasometer. You can look forward to a breathtaking show and perhaps one or two songs that have not yet been pressed onto polycarbonate. Remaining tickets for the show are still available at www.oeticket.com and at the box office.