Hot Milk came together in Manchester during 2018 when Hannah Mee and James Shaw, each previously active in separate groups, met one evening and chose to write a song together. That single effort grew into an expanding set of originals shaped by both punk energy and pop structures, prompting them to enlist local musicians Tom Paton on bass and Harry Deller on drums and complete the lineup.
The quartet surfaced publicly in 2019 with the EP Are You Feeling Alive?, whose emo and power pop mixture quickly attracted attention. Further singles including "Candy Coated Lie$" and "California's Burning" appeared soon after, and a short run of shows led to support dates with You Me at Six, Deaf Havana, and Foo Fighters as well as performances at Download and Reading & Leeds festivals. The band’s rising profile also produced an early tour opening for Foo Fighters.
Success with the debut prompted a contract with Music for Nations, which reissued the earlier self-released singles in 2020. Hot Milk then recorded new songs, culminating in the late-2021 release of their second EP, I Just Wanna Know What Happens When I'm Dead.
