English Teacher

A Leeds post-punk four-piece who take their place in the front rank of great new British bands” The Sunday Times

 “A vital voice from the heart of UK guitar music" NME

“A brilliant new voice in UK guitar music” DIY

“One of the UK’s best new bands” Dork

“A sprawling tour-de-force” So Young Magazine

“A crisp, relentless motorik pulse…infernos of distortion” Stereogum

“A sound that mixes post-punk, dream-pop and the wry, slightly skewed worldview of songwriter Lily Fontaine” Brooklyn Vegan

"A band with a dry wit and a sharp tongue" The Fader

“This is a band with an identity all their own” Loud & Quiet

“They could be your new favourite band” The Line Of Best Fit

“Matching barbed, often hilarious lyricism against bundles of askew guitar pop riffery” Clash

"Hotly tipped" Rolling Stone UK

“Infectious, crystalline, anthemic” Consequence of Sound

“Surprisingly angelic on the hook” NYLON

Leeds indie sensations English Teacher release intricate new single ‘Mastermind Specialism’, out today (November 24th) via Island Records, alongside news of their biggest headline show to date at London’s Electric Brixton on May 29th 2024.

Following their thrilling debut appearance on Later With…Jools Holland earlier this month (watch here), English Teacher’s relentless momentum shows no signs of slowing, having also recently been announced as overall Independent Venue Week Artist Ambassador for 2024 (following in the footsteps of Wolf Alice, Arlo Parks, Wet Leg & Beabadoobee).

Speaking ahead of their introspective latest release, frontwoman Lily Fontaine stated: “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. “That’s a bit of an essay so alternatively you can just say I responded with “ "."

Preceded by initial LP reveals ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ and ‘Nearly Daffodils’ which both landed on the BBC 6 Music playlist (A-List), English Teacher’s stunning ascent continues to reach new levels, having completed sold-out debut UK and US headline runs over the autumn, in addition to their first NME cover and widely celebrated slots at Reading & Leeds, Reeperbahn and Green Man Festival earlier this year.

With acclaimed debut EP ‘Polyawkward’ ushering their extraordinary rise in the last 18 months, the band’s biting social commentary and unique musical soundscapes have certainly positioned them as influential figures within the emerging indie landscape. Critical praise throughout the broadsheets (The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The Sunday Times) and key UK/US indie titans (NME, DIY, Dork, So Young, The FADER, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, NYLON, Rolling Stone UK, Loud & Quiet, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, The Forty-Five), as well as on the BBC Radio 1 (Jack Saunders, Gemma Bradley), BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne) and Apple Music (Elton John) airwaves has enhanced their profile significantly; whilst on the live circuit the group have already supported acts including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paolo Nutini, Parquet Courts and Yard Act, in addition to notable debut slots at SXSW and Glastonbury.

Produced by Marta Salgoni (Bjork, Black Midi, Animal Collective), English Teacher’s ‘Mastermind Specialism’ is out now via Island Records and available on all digital platforms.

English Teacher is Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar, synth), Douglas Frost (drums, vocals), Nicholas Eden (bass), Lewis Whiting (lead guitar)