English Teacher on life since Mercury Prize win and love of Fontaines D.C.: “We would love to work with them”

nme.com:

English Teacher have looked back on how life has changed for them since their Mercury Prize win, and shared that they would love to collaborate with Fontaines D.C.Read the interview below, or watch it in full via the video above.The Leeds band spoke to NME while at the BRIT Awards 2025 this weekend.

They were nominated in the Best New Artist category alongside Ezra Collective, Myles Smith, Rachel Chinouriri and The Last Dinner Party – with the latter ultimately taking home the trophy.On the red carpet, the band looked back at how life has changed for them since they won the prestigious Mercury Prize award in 2024 – beating off competition from Beth Gibbons, CMAT, Charli XCX and more.“Life has changed in so many ways.

We were fairly busy before, and then it went up to 11, and we have been non-stop busy until now,” guitarist Lewis Whiting told NME. “We had a little bit of time off over Christmas but it’s been incredible.”He added: “I remember us getting the tube together and walking past the billboards [for ‘This Could Be Texas’] in the stations, literally the next morning.

That was mad.” Bassist Nicholas Eden said: “It feels like it marks someone saying that everything is going to be alright. It’s like getting an arm put around your shoulder and telling you ‘Yeah, you’re alright.”The victory marked the first Mercury Prize to be won by a non-London act since Edinburgh’s Young Fathers took home the trophy in 2014.At the BRITs, English Teacher also told NME about their live show with Fontaines D.C.