English Teacher: ‘Winning the Mercury was the best night of our life’

Some albums arrive with a manifesto, bold and deliberate. Others, like English Teacher’s 2024 debut album This Could Be Texas, find their identity almost by accident, pieced together from fragments of different times, voices, and moods until suddenly the puzzle reveals itself. For English Teacher, the Mercury Prize-winning band at the heart of it all, their debut didn’t come from a neatly mapped-out plan but from an honest gathering of ideas, instincts and experiments that, once assembled, told a much bigger story than they expected. 

The Leeds-based four-piece, composed of Lily Fontaine, Douglas Frost, Nicholas Eden and Lewis Whiting, first met while studying at the city’s conservatoire in the late 2010s. Emerging from the same Leeds circuit that produced bands like Yard Act and L’objectif, English Teacher have distinguished themselves by leaning less on irony and more on intimacy. Their music manages to channel the post-punk traditions of the city whilst also stretching them into something more expansive and theatrical, and also confronting Fontaine’s personal experience as a woman of colour in the predominately white indie space. 

It’s that balance of the niche and the universal that defines English Teacher’s music. At a time when many new bands are content to echo the classic sounds of post-punk forebears, they’ve created a discography that feels refreshingly literary and playful, personal but still political. This is partly enhanced by Fontaine’s vocals, which shift effortlessly between sprechgesang, muted confession, and upfront clarity, while the band around her builds landscapes that are by turns cinematic and orchestral. 

As the four-piece travelled south to perform at Bristol’s Forwards Festival, we sat down with frontwoman Lily to talk about the surreal night of their Mercury Prize win, the small-town roots that keep threading their way into the band’s music, and why sometimes rebellion is as simple as telling the truth. 

You’re set to depart on your biggest headline tour. Is there a show you’re particularly looking forward to? 

Lily Fontaine: I love the Roundhouse. It’s not a traditional theatre. It being the round does make it feel more theatrical. It’s just beautiful as well. I can’t believe that we're doing two nights.  

And how are you feeling about playing Forwards festival in Bristol? Have you performed much in the city? 

Lily Fontaine: We’ve done a few shows in Bristol. I love the city. We played at Thekla, on the ship, on a really hot day which was super interesting and exciting. I’m excited about Forwards, especially because of the line-up. I’ve always loved watching Katy J Pearson, I think she’s on before us. Also, the Happy Mondays and Confidence Man, for sure. 

The fact that it had been ten years since a Mercury Prize winner came from outside of London, especially when there’s tons of villages, towns and cities filled with talented people... it says a lot about the accessibility of the industry.

I also wanted to ask about you winning the Mercury Prize in 2024 – it’s such a big achievement, especially since you’re not from London. Did you feel a sense of pride in achieving it on your own terms? 

Lily Fontaine: Yeah, definitely a sense of pride. But honestly, it was also shocking. The fact that it had been ten years since a winner came from outside of London, especially when there are tons of villages, towns and cities filled with talented people... it says a lot about the accessibility of the industry. That part felt like a shame. But for us personally, aside from all that, it was the best night of my life. I’ve watched the Mercury Prize since I was a kid, and so many musicians I’ve looked up to have been nominated. Even a year later, I still can’t believe it actually happened. It’s surreal. I’m so happy and proud, especially that we did it our own way. 

When you won, were you surprised? 

Lily Fontaine: Massively. Even being nominated was a surprise. 

I guess if it’s your first album, and you’re nominated alongside people like Charli xcx, you don’t really expect to win. 

Lily Fontaine: Yeah. I mean personally I think Brat is better. Stuff like that isn’t even on your realistic bucket list. It’s more shocking because you just don’t expect it to ever actually happen 

Were there particular artists or songwriters who inspired you to pursue music at university? 

Lily Fontaine: So many. The Smiths were massive for me, Joy Division too, and Amy Winehouse. When I was deciding to go to university, I was already performing as a function singer, so studying music just felt like the most viable path. 

A lot of those artists are people who had something meaningful to say, who went against the grain. Do you see yourself in that tradition? 

Lily Fontaine: I wouldn’t say we set out to be rebellious for its own sake. But I wouldn’t want what we create to be a copy of anything else. I’d hope it feels original. Sometimes rebellion is just telling the truth, and that can come across as controversial. 

That’s a good way to put it. You recently supported Fontaines D.C., who are also very outspoken about politics onstage. Do you think honesty like that is important in your music, too? 

Lily Fontaine: Yes, hugely. Honesty doesn’t always have to be literal – it can come through metaphor or allegory as much as plain statements. But if you have a platform, I do think it’s important to use it.

I also wanted to ask about “The Mastermind Specialism”. It’s full of references – Doctor Who, Nosferatu. Where did that come from? 

Lily Fontaine: The Nosferatu line came from a specific episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The second verse basically describes that situation. The song as a whole is about being stressed by decision-making. The Doctor Who references tie into that too—I love sci-fi, and quiz shows. It’s all about the idea of alternatives to making a decision: time travel, parallel universes, things like that. It was also inspired by the film Mr. Nobody, which is about living with the consequences of indecision.  

What’s your favourite quiz show?

Lily Fontaine: Only Connect. 

English Teacher head out on tour in November. Grab tickets here.