English Teacher: Last News

English Teacher have spoken to NME about being shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, their ‘rivalry’ with Beyoncé and progress on their second album.The Leeds indie upstarts received the Mercury nod yesterday (Thursday July 25), with the former NME cover stars‘ acclaimed debut ‘This Could Be Texas’ being shortlisted alongside records by the likes of Charli XCX, CMAT, Ghetts, The Last Dinner Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Beth Gibbons, Barry Can’t Swim and more.Asked by NME about what it meant to be nominated, frontwoman Lily Fontaine described it as “mental” and called this year’s nominees as “the best year yet. Not just because we’re on it!”Quizzed on what ‘This Could Be Texas’ tells us about life in 2024, guitarist Lewis Whiting said that it aimed to capture the idea “that places are often far apart are often eerily similar”.A post shared by NME (@nmemagazine)For a band who have been very vocal about how difficult it is for artists to survive and thrive in the current climate, English Teacher said that the honour felt all the more profound.“There’s a lot of temptation to not continue making music because you physically can’t,” Fontaine admitted.

English Teacher have a shared a soothing cover of Billie Eilish’s recent single ‘Birds Of A Feather’.The rising indie rockers and former NME Cover stars performed a downbeat version of the track on Jack Saunders’ New Music Show on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday (July 16). You can listen to it below.Speaking about why she did the cover, frontwoman Lily Fontaine said: “I remember the exact moment we chose to do it, I listened to the song and I cried and then I sent it to the lads.

English Teacher have spoken to NME about their love for Sheffield songwriter Richard Hawley and his Standing At The Sky’s Edge musical – watch the interview above.Speaking at Glastonbury 2024, vocalist Lily Fontaine, alongside guitarist Lewis Whiting and bassist Nicholas Eden, told us about their experience of seeing the show, which is currently playing in London’s West End. The production interpolates a slew of tracks from across Hawley’s discography, including 2006’s Mercury-nominated ‘Coles Corner’ album.“After our recent New York show, I went outside and a guy came up to me and said, ‘I really enjoyed the set. I live here but I’m from Sheffield’,” Fontaine said.

English Teacher celebrated their time in Manchester by breaking out covers of The Smiths and LCD Soundsystem – find footage of the show below.The rising indie rockers and former NME Cover stars broke into the two covers while on stage in Manchester last week – one of the recent shows they have been playing as part of their ongoing UK tour.The dates come in celebration of their recently-shared debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’, which arrived in April and already has become one tipped to be featured in some of the best albums of 2024.Now, while playing numerous tracks from the breakthrough LP while on stage at the Gorilla venue, Lily Fontaine and co. used the opportunity to make a nod to Manchester music royalty, The Smiths.Towards the end of their 15-song set, the band delivered a surprise rendition of classic track by the indie pioneers ‘Big Mouth Strikes Again’.

NME as a government committe of UK MPs have joined the call for a levy on arena and stadium gigs – as well as a cut in VAT – to support struggling grassroots music venues and artists.Earlier this year, the Music Venue Trust delivered their full report into the state of the sector for 2023, showing the “disaster” facing live music with venues closing at a rate of around two per week.

English Teacher, Bill Ryder-Jones and Beyoncé are 2024’s best-rated albums so far – according to Metacritic.Metacritic aggregates reviews of TV, film, books and music and then gives them an average score. According to their About Us page, the review-aggregator site curates a “diverse group of highly respected critics and assigns scores to their reviews”.

English Teacher‘s Lily Fontaine has given credits to her mother for the band’s debut album artwork on ‘This Could Be Texas’.The frontwoman took to social media to give the backstory on English Teacher’s debut album art, which was just released last Friday (April 12). The band are currently on track to land in the Top Ten on the Official Charts this week.Writing on X/Twitter, Fontaine shared: “To feel understood potentially takes the number one spot in the chart of experiences.

English Teacher have announced a UK headline tour for this winter – you can find all the details below.The Leeds band are due to begin the five-date run with a headline show at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London on November 12. From there, they’ll make stops in Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle and Bristol.Tickets for the upcoming gigs go on general sale at 10am BST next Friday (April 12) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.

full report into the state of the sector for 2023, showing the “disaster” facing live music with venues closing at a rate of around two per week. Presented at Westminster, the MVT echoed their calls for a levy on tickets on gigs at arena size and above and for major labels and such to pay back into the grassroots scene, arguing that “the big companies are now going to have to answer for this”.The Featured Artists Coalition – a trade union body representing the needs of musicians and artists in the UK – then wrote to NME to argue that while the survival of venues is “essential”, any kind of ‘Premier League’ model to be adopted by the industry needs to take into account keeping creators in pocket and being able to exist, as well as ways to open up the world of music to different genres, backgrounds and audiences.“What good is it keeping venues open if artists can’t afford to perform in them?” asked FAC CEO David Martin.Now the debate has been taken to the UK government, after last Tuesday (March 26) saw the Culture Media & Sport Committee hold evidence sessions with figures from across the industry to see what can be done.“The first impact we need to realise is that is 125 communities that have lost access to live music on their doorstep,” Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd told the hearing.

English Teacher have dropped their seething new single ‘R&B’.The post-punk band have shared the latest song from their upcoming album ‘This Could Be Texas‘, due out April 12 via Island. ‘R&B’ was previously released in 2021, and has been re-recorded for their new record.Frontwoman Lily Fontaine has said this single is about a former partner: “When I was with him I had writer’s block and to add insult to irony, the only idea I had was for an R&B top line – the genre people always assumed I worked in.“As soon as he ended it, I converted that top line into the lyrics and riff for ‘R&B,’ and took it to my three best mates.

English Teacher have announced their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’ and shared new single ‘Albert Road’.The Leeds four-piece will release their first full-length record on April 12 via Island, and the new track follows previous singles ‘Mastermind Specialism’, ‘Nearly Daffodils’ and ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’.Speaking of the album, vocalist Lily Fontaine said: “I want this album to feel like you’ve gone to space and it turns out it’s almost identical to Doncaster.

English Teacher have shared their soothing new single ‘Mastermind Specialism’ – listen to it below.The new track from the Leeds four-piece follows previous singles ‘Nearly Daffodils’ and ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’.Speaking about the track, singer Lily Fontaine said via a press release: “Decision paralysis is an ache that has murmured in me through sitting on smaller fences, through to questioning my theology, my sexuality, my career and so on.“Watching Jaco Van Dormael’s incredible sci-fi/fantasy Mr Nobody put the cause and effect of this issue into perspective; my life has been consistent in its inconsistency. 12 different houses across the country and mixed-race I’ve always been a bit in-between and I think that’s where this song, and a lot of the songs we’re due to release, come from.”The band have also announced plans for a new show in London at Electric Brixton on May 29 next year.

English Teacher have been announced as the ambassadors for next year’s Independent Venue Week.The next edition of the popular celebration of grassroots music venues returns on January 29, 2024, with the aim of encouraging fans to start the new year by visiting their local venue for a gig. Venues up and down the country come together with artists, promoters, agents, record labels and media to put on special live events across the UK to highlight and celebrate the work they do.Altogether, 205 venues in the UK have signed up to participate this year and the artists confirmed to perform that week include The Zutons, CVC, Steve Mason, Hinds, Peaness, Skinny Living and TVAM.

English Teacher have shared their spirited new single ‘Nearly Daffodils’ – listen to it below.The new track from the Leeds four-piece sees vocalist Lily Fontaine pair propulsive pop-rock instrumentals with challenging self-realisations.“‘Nearly Daffodils’ is about heartbreak and acceptance of unfulfilled potential,” she said in a press statement. “How, no matter how much you may want something, no matter how much effort you may put into something’s growth or development, no matter how beautiful you can envision its fruition; life is a bitch and about as unstoppable as a freight train”.Listen to the new track below.English Teacher recently recalled their struggle with imposter syndrome, revealing to NME how their growing confidence has allowed them to enter “a new era”.The band – also comprising guitarist Lewis Whiting, drummer Douglas Frost and bassist Nicholas Eden – spoke with NME as the latest cover stars and revealed how they overcame self-doubt in recent months.The discussion also came in light of their recent single ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ – a track which was originally made in 2020, and reworked to be released in the summer.“The song truly feels like the start of a new era for us,” said Whiting.

English Teacher have recalled their struggle with imposter syndrome, and revealed how their growing confidence has allowed them to enter “a new era”.The emerging Leeds band – comprised of vocalist Lily Fontaine, guitarist Lewis Whiting, drummer Douglas Frost and bassist Nicholas Eden – spoke with NME as the latest cover stars, and revealed how they have overcome moments of self-doubt over recent months.In the discussion, the band opened up about their ongoing battle with self-doubt and recalled the ways that their slots at mammoth festivals including Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds have helped them evolve as performers.The discussion also came in light of their recent single ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ – a track which was originally made in 2020, and reworked to be released last month.“The song truly feels like the start of a new era for us,” said Whiting, reflecting on how the band have grown in popularity since 2020. “It’s amazing to have all these people behind us but it is quite jarring; it’s been a mad two years.