The song had been originally demoed during early sessions to We Love Life,[1] the band's seventh and last studio album to date.

[2] Pulp finally went back to finish the song in late 2012 during their successful comeback 2011-2012 tour.

[1] "After You" was originally released as free download for those who received a Christmas card at Pulp's hometown show at the Motorpoint Arena on 8 December 2012.

The card contained a unique code to give access to a downloadable gift, which was made available after midnight on Christmas Eve.

[1] The song finally received a commercial release in January 2013, in a form of download single.