It was two years ago, at Pilton Working Men’s Club near to the Glastonbury Festival site, when I first saw English Teacher.
They were one of eight finalists in the 2022 Glastonbury Festival emerging talent final and ended as runners up after playing two songs, including the wonderful R&B.
What I saw was a band that had emerged and knew exactly what their sound should be, a mixture of thoughtful post punk and emotional dream pop wonderfully delivered by the Leeds band, and especially from lead singer Lily Fontaine.
The next time I saw them was on the Woodsies stage at the iconic festival that year. They were a little nervous and Lily burst into tears after mentioning Glastonbury in a song, as the emotion of the occasion became too much.
English Teacher, Glastonbury 2022
Fast forward two years and this little local band from Leeds have truly arrived. Nerves have gone. And their performance at Glastonbury this year in the Leftfield tent was electrifying, supplemented by cello on stage and featuring crowd surfing from Fontaine.
English Teacher crowd surfing, Glastonbury 2024
I’m off to see them again in Bristol this November as they impressed me so much as a live outfit this summer.
As well as some great gigs this year for English Teacher their debut album has finally arrived, no doubt helped by their £2,500 PRS Foundation prize for their Glastonbury emerging talent involvement.
This naturally features R&B, with its driving bass, Fontaine’s lyrics and methodical build up that becomes frenetic by the end, all across just two and a half minutes.
Its one of many highlights from start to finish.
English Teacher’s Lily Fontaine
The slow wistful Albatross opens proceedings with discordant guitars leaping in and out across the melody.
Then comes The World’s Biggest Paving Slab which picks the album up a post punk gear. It’s a gem.
Broken Biscuits is another instant classic, that was among those that impressed live at Glastonbury this year. It reminded me just a bit of Penis Envy era Crass the way it ascends into chaos gradually.
There are 13 tracks, with no dud. Perfect for any album, let alone a debut.
While I won’t recount each I will also mention arguably the best and my current favourite, the title track, where keyboards take centre stage to join Fontaine. The guitars then wade in as it meanders this way and that. Then there’s that cello. Wow. This is a fine, fine track and one of my favourites of the year.
Another I’ll mention is Nearly Daffodils, with its superb bass line. The emotion Fontaine puts into this, as well as the melody, reminded me of The Mountain Goats. As one of my favourite American bands that is high praise indeed.
Words and pictures by Joe Lepper
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