Spotlight On: English Teacher

Powerful lyricism, enchanting vocals, and punky melodies combine to create the distinct and unforgettable sound of Mercury Prize-winning band English Teacher, making them true innovators within a painfully oversaturated industry. Their experimentative style is exquisitely yet effortlessly executed: English Teacher’s music is an invaluable addition to any playlist.

English Teacher was formed in 2020 when singer Lily Fontaine, drummer Douglas Frost, guitarist Lewis Whiting, and bassist Nicholas Eden met while studying at Leeds Conservatoire. From the release of their debut single ‘R&B’ in 2021, the band established themselves as one of the most exciting acts to emerge in the last few years. They have steadily grown in popularity, helped by their frequent live performances and festival slots, now amassing around 375,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. However, they remain under the radar for many and have received little chart success, with their debut album peaking at number 8 and charting for just one week.

Defying boundaries of genre, English Teacher have forged a unique musical identity, thus making them a standout group within indie music

Defying boundaries of genre, English Teacher have forged a unique musical identity, thus making them a standout group within indie music. They masterfully combine elements of punk, post-punk and art rock with Fontaine’s ethereal, penetrating vocals and surreal commentary to create a truly captivating sound. Each band member’s individual contributions in each composition testify to their talents and perfect harmony with the other members.

English Teacher have enjoyed extensive critical acclaim throughout their career. Their debut album, This Could Be Texas, appeared on TIME magazine’s ‘Best Albums of 2024’ list, and NME dubbed them ‘a band already dealing in brilliance’. Most notably, however, they were awarded the prestigious Mercury Prize this year, besting several much more renowned artists such as Charli XCX and The Last Dinner Party. This award cements them as one of the most exciting new talents, with an incredibly bright future lying ahead.

This Could Be Texas is a thoroughly personal album due to its deep connections to Fontaine’s northern upbringing, yet it still possesses a profound timelessness and the possibility for universal connection. Its evocative nature is immediately apparent from the first track, ‘Albatross’, which grapples with complex themes surrounding new-found independence from family, and the expectations and fear which accompany it – emotions felt by none more readily than university students. The album explores challenging topics such as the vulnerability of love, the difficulties of self-discovery and the often-overwhelming unpredictability of life. This Could Be Texas is a brutally honest representation of our world and the extraordinary nature of being ordinary.

The album defies all boundaries of genre. Songs such as ‘I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying’ and ‘Nearly Daffodils’ combine post-punk and rock styles. ‘You Blister My Paint’ and ‘Mastermind Specialism’ display a profound introspective and ballad-like nature, while ‘Not Everybody Gets to Go to Space’ and ‘The Best Tears of Your Life’ include experimental synths. Integral to every track is the honest representation of life’s most common struggles, confronting: identity, local politics, and modern relationships. This rawness is spectacularly accentuated by its accompanying melodies, irrespective of if it is the symphonic ecstasies of ‘Sideboob’ or the thrilling tempo shifts of ‘This Could Be Texas’. Every track is a vulnerable representation of the band’s beliefs about time, place, and connection. This vast diversity of sounds represents the confident experimentation of this debut, while every track still feels perfectly placed within the album. This epitomises the world of contrasts and juxtapositions which English Teacher command so masterfully.

Upon receiving the Mercury Prize this month, English Teacher criticised the lack of recognition of new artists outside of London

English Teacher’s music is immersed in identity and social politics, largely rooted in Fontaine’s experiences growing up in the north of England, and navigating the white and male-dominated rock and indie music scene as a mixed-race woman. Her agonies come to the fore in ‘R&B’, with the repeated lyric “If I have stuff to write, then why don’t I just write it for me? / Despite appearances, I haven’t got the voice for R&B”. Raw, emotional spoken words are foregrounded throughout the track, affirming Fontaine’s commitment to self-defined expression, refusing to be shoved towards a typecast.

Their political activism extends beyond sharp lyricism. Upon receiving the Mercury Prize this month, they criticised the lack of recognition of new artists outside of London. English Teacher were the first non-London band to be awarded the prestigious prize in nine years, which the band branded ‘ridiculous’. Fontaine has also been an outspoken advocate for small music venues and independent artists, and recently spoke in front of the Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee. English Teacher’s commitment to supporting these grassroots venues and musicians is truly admirable and demonstrates an awareness of the responsibility they hold to preserve and nurture the UK’s music scene from which they emerged.

It is somewhat surprising that English Teacher’s debut album This Could Be Texas was released only in April 2024: the confidence in their experimental sound indicates experience far beyond their years, enforcing them as an upcoming talent not to be missed, and certainly not to be underestimated. Whether it’s their post-punk experimentation, piercingly introspective lyrics or addictively energetic melodies, English Teacher are sure to excite, intrigue, and inspire any listener.