Band Of The Week #206 - Hot Milk
This week’s Band Of The Week is the forever amazing Hot Milk - who have just released their new EP ‘The King And Queen Of Gasoline‘ - which tells a story of tearaways, delinquents and being the King & Queen of their own dark underworld, fighting the patriarchy.
The six track EP follows on from 2019's " Are You Feeling Alive?' and 2021's "I JUST WANNA KNOW THAT HAPPENS WHEN I'M DEAD" which not only garnered 30 million streams, it propelled them into the spotlight with both critical acclaim and winning tours with the Foo Fighters, The Band Camino, Pale Waves and more.
"The King And Queen Of Gasoline " EP creates a storyline of overcoming resistance from control, whether its parental or relationships that have evoked feelings of being stifled and judged. These themes are threaded within the music which has become a lifeline to the band.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Hot Milk - how are you? So your EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
HIYAAAA, madness. This EP came together so quickly and the fact that we have to let go of it now feels a bit strange. We always feel so protective of songs but these really feel like children flying the nest. we're not sure if we're ready but we think there's some really important things we have to say so it's time for them to go forth and be out there now. It's scary but it feels fuckin good. - Han
It is called ‘The King And Queen Of Gasoline’ - what is the meaning behind that?
We went through a period of time when we were living a little too close to the fire, making our lives almost so flammable that they could go up in flames and get ruined any minute. It's our alter egos for sure, we have fiendish tendencies... can't say no to a good night out but often that night out becomes noon the next day... you can get sucked into a bit of a hole sometimes. We were almost fuck ups, basically were the king and queen of nearly letting it all go too far. - Han
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
So the record was recorded in my spare room in Salford, as we have done every single EP we've ever put out but what was different with this one is that we started writing in when we we're in various places across the world. Me and Han were in a hotel room in LA hungover and we had an idea for the title track... Han even shouted the melody at me from the shower and was like "RECORD THIS!!" so we needed a guitar quickly to get started on it as we didn’t have one with us. Our manager made some calls and a guitar turned up at the hotel from none other than Dave Grohl himself... so this song was written on that guitar which we think gave it a little history and magic. It gave it a bit of balls. It's a special song written in a place that was so unusual for us... we were used to writing in my spare room... this one just felt different. - Jim
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
I mean we're always a culmination of absolutely everything we have ever loved and are yet to love musically. We really wanted this EP to sound BIG and ANTHEMIC so we got to work making an accidental conceptual record really. It's a story of being lost in the underworld and trying to run from it all... essentially overkill on the fun can put you in a place you don't wanna be. There's a big fuck you!!! were just gonna be us!!! feel... as always... we have a lot of anger I think... but that always comes from pain. we touch on the fact that we've never been the children our parents wanted us to be and that feel of disappointing them and finding ourselvers without their support... that's really the centre of the record. - Han
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
The Lost Boys.
I just think the angst is there, the drama is there, the fuckin pain is there... it just works haha. - Jim
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
Told we're nothing and we're no good,
an alien since childhood,
baptised in a river of blood,
so we set fire to the neighbourhood.
This is how the record starts, it just reflects what the records about... feeling so fucking different since the day we were born and like we were in the wrong family or place... never really feeling understood. - Han
Now the EP is out there - what next?
Debut album time I guess? Just keep this family growing.. reach people... help people and honestly.. we really wanna push ourselves on this next one... surprise people and put out a record that is so fucking good so that we can be proud of ourselves and find a little confidence, we still lack that and think we always will but we just wanna try make a difference with music... you never know, tiny thoughts turn into big societal changes and if we can be that song to fire off someones ability to be more open... then we've won. - Jim
