English Teacher, (L-R) Lewis Whiting, Lily Fontaine, Douglas Frost and Nicholas Eden during Mercury Prize 2024, Abbey Road Studios, London, England, on 05 September 2024. (Photo by 2024 JM Enternational)
English Teacher’s acclaimed debut LP ‘This Could Be Texas’ (April 12th / Island Records) wins the 2024 Mercury Prize.
The judging team said: “This has been a really tough year for the Mercury Prize judges, with the final 12 albums being so reflective of our diverse & rich musical landscape. There was so much passion and enthusiasm for each one.
In the end, though, we did agree that ‘This Could Be Texas’ by English Teacher stands out for its originality & character. 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. ‘This Could Be Texas’ reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic.
The Mercury Prize was set up to celebrate the album as an artistic format in its own right and all the judges agreed that this charismatic body of work deserves to be the 2024 Mercury Prize Album of the Year.”
The quartet’s biting social commentary and unique musical soundscapes saw their debut album chart at number 8 amid a flurry of 5-star reviews – it has been described as “a landmark debut” (NME), “one of the great debut albums of the 21st century” (The Sunday Times) and “setting (them) up for a long and adventurous career” (UNCUT).
English Teacher’s stunning ascent continues to reach new levels, with the band having recently announced their biggest headline shows to date for November (including debut appearances at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Manchester’s O2 Ritz), preceded by a full North American tour in September supporting IDLES. Following on from their thrilling appearance on Later With…Jools Holland (watch here), the group’s formidable rise also saw them named Official Independent Venue Week Artist Ambassador for 2024 (following in the footsteps of Wolf Alice, Arlo Parks, Wet Leg & Beabadoobee), with the band’s stature continuing to grow at an extraordinary rate.
The four-piece have graced the covers of indie bibles NME, DORK and So Young and bagged lead features and shoots in the print editions of DIY, Wonderland and CLASH. Praise has also easily flowed from critics at the broadsheets including The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Financial Times, The New York Times, The Evening Standard and TIME Magazine (Best Songs Of 2023).
The cross-cultural appeal of the group has seen them invited into BBC 6 Music, Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio X for coveted live sessions. Every single from the album has seen relentless A-Listing on BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne, Jamz Supernova, Craig Charles) and regular spins on Radio 1 (Jack Saunders, Gemma Bradley), Radio 2 (Jo Whiley), Radio X (John Kennedy) and Apple Music (Elton John). On the live circuit the group’s latest UK headline tour was completely sold-out, in addition to notable debut slots at SXSW and Glastonbury.
Heralding the sound of a band inhabiting a sonic identity all their own, ‘This Could Be Texas’ both begins and ends with references to nineties touchpoints – melodic, college rock-worthy guitars on opener ‘Albatross’, and a huge arena-worthy climax to the anthemic ‘Albert Road’. In between, there is room for everything from the subtle, experimental landscape changes of ‘Not Everybody Gets To Go To Space’, to the more grounded, intimate likes of ‘Broken Biscuits’ and ‘Nearly Daffodils’. The pace is forever shifting as they move smoothly through the gears; rave-reviewed singles ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ and the reworked ‘R&B’ have a very different feel to something like the soaring balladry of ‘You Blister My Paint’, but both have a similar sort of searing energy in common that encompasses the entire record.
Speaking ahead of their LP release, English Teacher revealed: “Not everybody gets to go to space but if you do, don’t be surprised if the planet your Amazon sponsored Teslaship3000 takes you to is just like Batley. And on the way, while you’re spinning in G-force, that feeling you get of neither being here nor there, well we hope you find this album suits the mood. We’ve questioned what, who and where home is, and we’ve found fluidity and each other. Lame as it sounds, we’re all four of us the same and vastly different, just like you all are. We hope you find some joy spending 50 minutes and 32 seconds in the uncanny valley with us.”
Produced by Marta Salogni (Bjork, Bon Iver, M.I.A.), English Teacher’s ‘This Could Be Texas’ (LP)is out now via Island Records and available on all platforms.
English Teacher is Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar, synth), Douglas Frost (drums, piano, vocals), Nicholas Eden (bass), Lewis Whiting (lead guitar)
‘This Could Be Texas’ (LP) Tracklist
01 – Albatross
02 – The World’s Biggest Paving Slab
03 – Broken Biscuits
04 – I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying
05 – Mastermind Specialism
06 – This Could Be Texas
07 – Not Everybody Gets To Go To Space
08 – R&B
09 – Nearly Daffodils
10 – The Best Tears Of Your Life
11 – You Blister My Paint
12 – Sideboob
13 – Albert Road
English Teacher Online
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Spotify
Live Dates
23rd Oct – Le Hasard Ludique, Paris, France
25th Oct – Le Grand Mix,Tourcoing, France
26th Oct – London Calling, Amsterdam, Netherlands
27th Oct – Knust, Hamburg, Germany
1st Nov – Neue Zukunft, Berlin, Germany
3rd Nov – Botanique, Brussels, Belgium
12th Nov – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK
14th Nov – O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK
18th Nov – St Luke’s, Glasgow, UK
19th Nov – Boiler Shop, Newcastle, UK
21st Nov – SWX, Bristol, UK
About the Author
![August [Photo Credit_ Nicole Osrin]](https://northernexposuremagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/August-Photo-Credit_-Nicole-Osrin-150x150.jpg)
