English Teacher

English Teacher Artistfacts

  • 2020-
    Lily FontaineVocals, guitar
    Lewis WhitingGuitar
    Douglas FrostDrums
    Nicholas EdenBass
  • The band's roots date back to 2018, when a group of friends at Leeds Conservatoire formed a dream-pop group called Frank. By 2020 it had reincarnated into English Teacher.

    Guitarist Lewis Whiting recalled to Consequence joining the group after befriending vocalist Lily Fontaine. He said it just "clicked."

    "There was a bit of a name change, a rearranging of Lily's previous band," he said. "I had an idea of what kind of music Lily's other bands were into at the time."
  • While often categorized as post-punk, the band members resist such a strict label. They incorporate elements of funk, art rock, humor and even wry social commentary into their music.
  • English Teacher released their debut EP, Polyawkward, in April 2022. The title is an adaptation of the word polyorchid - a term that refers to someone with more than two testicles.

    "I just thought it was so interesting since an orchid is such a beautiful flower and... yeah, anyway!"said vocalist Lily Fontaine to The Line Of Best Fit. "Polyawkward sounds like polyorchid and it's how I'd describe myself: I'm just uncomfortable and awkward around everyone."
  • The title of their debut album, This Could Be Texas, is a bit of a joke. It originated from a sweltering heatwave in England, not from the US state. Guitarist Lewis Whiting jokingly uttered the phrase while stuck in a hot car park, and it stuck!
  • Fontaine's go-to guitar is her Fender Mustang, "because I'm five foot two and every other guitar makes me look so tiny," she laughed to Guitar.com. "I love it. I feel like it's diverse enough for me."
  • This Could Be Texas was lauded by critics and won the 2024 Mercury Prize. In a statement, the judges said the album stood out for its originality and character, calling it "a winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation, alongside a subtle way of wearing its musical innovations lightly, displays a fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format."
  • Why English Teacher? The band derived their name from Lily Fontaine's personal connections. The frontwoman explained that many members of her family have been English teachers at some point, and she wanted to keep that tradition alive through the group's name. Additionally, Fontaine attributed her love for writing to the influence of her English teachers. "I do a lot of creative writing," she told Northern Life magazine. "I got into that through English teachers and all my English teachers have been amazing people."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.