The Leeds-based band formed in 2020 and are an indie post-punk group made up of Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar, synth), Douglas Frost (drums), Nicholas Eden (bass) and Lewis Whiting (lead guitar, synth).
The band originally coined the name Frank but revised it in 2020. According to Last.FM Radio, Fontaine explained that “we all really liked our English teachers in school. I think we all had crushes on them.”
The band blend together many elements to create their sound, including angular post-punk sounds, dream pop, and indie electronic sounds of the synth. The World’s Biggest Paving Slab was their first single and has amassed over 2 millions streams on Spotify. The song was produced by Marta Salgoni, who worked with artists such as Björk, Black Midi, and Animal Collective.
In discussing the origins of The World’s Biggest Paving Slab, Fontaine described the experience of growing up around Pendle, and how witnessing the social, economic and political issues shaped her and her music. She explained;
This song tackles delusions of grandeur and inferiority from the perspective of a small town’s local celebrities.
The song was published a day after Flontaine made a public plea to create more opportunities for UK bands outside of London following the downscaling of the BBC’s regional Introducing shows.
The World’s Biggest Paving Slab is part of their album This Could Be Texas for which they received the Mercury nomination on the 25th of July. In response to the news of the nomination, the band announced they would be performing a free concert in Leeds at the Brundenell Social Club, Burley from 19:00 on Wednesday, allocating tickets on a first come first serve basis.
This venue holds significance for the band as aside from being located in their home town it is not the first time they have played there. In October of 2023 they performed a sold-out show, so returning with the new nomination under their belt is something of a victory lap for the band.
For more ticket information on the event, see here.
Nominated alongside them were other Leeds artists including Corinne Bailey, producer Nia Archives, Charlie XCX, and The Last Dinner Party.
This concert will precede the bands extensive tour which is set to kick off on the the 2nd of October and take them across the continental US and throughout Europe and the United Kingdom, finishing on the 21st of November 2024 in Bristol.
English Teacher’s music boasts a unique sound with lyrics full of rich ideas that range throughout many epochs, drawing on Victorian literature, local history, and even YouTube channels. These cross-generational references and sound reminiscent of the punk era makes their music appealing to a wide range of listeners, which will hopefully stand them in good stead in securing the Mercury Prize.
