English Teacher – 2024 Mercury Prize winners for their debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’, two sold-out nights at Camden’s iconic Roundhouse alongside many others on their headline tour, and yet, many people still mutter “who?” upon hearing their names. For those in the know, Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday 26th November would be two very exciting nights, with English Teacher taking to the stage in a packed out venue holding just over 3000 attendees, just up the road from Koko where the Lancashire/Leeds based quartet had their first headline only last year, and across the road from their first London show at Camden Assembly in 2022. It was the perfect place for all of this history to meld into a monumental victory for the band on their journey so far.
We were at Roundhouse on Tuesday, the 25th, to cover the first of the two nights.
Supporting these headline shows were our other favourite Northern stars, The Orielles. Formed in West Yorkshire, they’ve been a strong mainstay of the Manchester music scene and many an indie or psych festival since their conception in 2013, and debut album ‘Silver Dollar Moment’ in 2018. Being a particularly big fan already, I felt biased going into the pit knowing we were going to be witness to a soaring and versatile set full of ambient dream-pop soundscapes and shoegaze-y, artfully jagged melodies. The trio fronted by Esmé Hand-Halford delivered a versatile setlist of (albeit more recent) tracks proving that their tightly honed connection could jump across genres and musical influences effortlessly.
A particular treat was hearing so many new and unreleased singles from their upcoming album Only You Left, with guitarist Henry Carlyle Wade charming the crowd with his blunt and quippy introductions, “This one’s about a wasp. It’s called Wasp.” Straight to it, and why not? Their music speaks volumes, and there’s little more the group can say to win over the crowd that the music doesn’t already do for them. I had personally hoped for some older tracks, the likes of Itgehane, Let Your Dogtooth Grow or Memoirs of Miso – all of which used to make fond and regular appearances in the band’s sets, but it’s clear that The Orielles have grown and are forming into a newer, more abstract and mature sound in comparison to their earlier offerings, and I admire them for sticking to the progression and offering us a glimpse into what 2026 brings with their new music.
My only gripe, which extended across the whole show, would be that the crowd felt a little too sanitised, a little too upper-middle class and a little too boring for the excitement of both bands. What would once have been a sea of mosh pits, excited rambling teens and hipster-YES/Windmill Brixton-attending 20-something year olds, has now been sanitised down to Radio 6 dads more interested in the IPAs at the bar. Amongst them, late teens with their uninterested parents who seem too embarrassed to move or be seen by their fellow gig goers, watching the minutes tick away on their watch waiting to get the Northern line back home. Both The Orielles and English Teacher deserved more energy and a better reception for such a monumental occasion in such an iconic venue.
The switchover between bands, I have to say, though, was one of the most efficient and flawless I have seen in my nearly 10 years of gig going, and the venue staff and touring crew all deserve a massive hand for keeping the energy flowing so effortlessly throughout the night.
As English Teacher took place on stage, a delighted cheer lit up the room as they wove their way through a new live arrangement of their debut’s titular track ‘This Could Be Texas’. It was unsurprisingly jarring to hear this new arrangement in all of its delicate glory when earlier in the day I’d had Baxter Dury’s dance-centric remix on loop in my headphones. Despite the jump, I loved the direction it took and felt as though the whole crowd was being guided towards the band and the anticipation of what was next to come on the setlist. Initially forming as the dream-pop band ‘Frank’ in 2018, whilst studying at Leeds Conservatoire, the group, consisting of Lily Fontaine (vocals, guitar), Nicholas Eden (bass), Douglas Frost (drums), and Lewis Whiting (guitar), took a leap in a new direction in 2020. Rebranding as English Teacher the band have found themselves blending and churning up genres, with no definite labels to pigeonhole their work. Their creations span everything from art punk to post punk, alternative, pop, and dare I say, even a melancholy ballad or two – all of which have earned them their previously mentioned Mercury Prize, a slot on Later With Jools Holland, signings with both Nice Swan Records and Island Records, and countless hours of airtime on mainstream radio stations alongside international tours.
Despite all of this success, English Teacher still seem to be one of the nation’s best-kept secrets. However, I’m sure it won’t be long until they’re at the same level as fellow indie darlings Wolf Alice (and others) at the top of many a festival lineup, and, as Lily joked on Tuesday night, headlining ‘that massive one.. The main one in London’ she said… meaning the O2. It was a sweet moment seeing the band’s ambition so raw and vulnerable in front of the crowd, and I’m certain every person in the room wholeheartedly believes it will happen.
Even with just under an hour and a half of stage time, the set flew by so quickly and barely felt like enough time for the band to roar through their monumental offerings. They could easily fill a venue for 2 hours upwards, but (despite my slightly greedy hopes for the future of their gigs) I felt more than satisfied at their selection of songs, and felt spoiled as we were treated to not one, but two new singles. ‘Toothpick’ and ‘Billboards’ offer a feeling of extension from the world of This Could Be Texas; they could very easily feature on a deluxe version of the album, but at the same time, they feel entirely fresh and perfectly formed, primed for a run of shows next year in support of a new album, perhaps? The addition of Blossom Caldarone on the cello opened a whole world of potential for the future of English Teacher’s shows – and between the songwriting of singer Lily Fontaine, and the production skills of guitarist Lewis Whiting, alongside the talents of Nicholas and Douglas, I am now clawing at the unopened box of possibility that we could one day see a production similar to Raye’s recent live orchestral performance at The Royal Albert Hall.
Despite prior gripes, I found myself enjoying this show, and it’s always a pleasure to be able to see two of my favourite bands on one lineup. To see them both develop and form new pathways in their musical careers is just the cherry on top, and provides a glimmering sparkle of hope in a world that seems to be obsessed with screaming how music is deader than dead and regurgitated AI is all that’s left to sink our teeth into. This is absolutely untrue, and though gigs may not quite be what they once were (why was there no third band opening? And since when were support slots so brief?), they’re still finding a way to exist in an ever-changing world of venue closures and self-indulgent reviews like this one.
To have back-to-back sold-out headline shows at double the capacity in a little over 12 months, since their first headline tour – shows the rapid ascension of English Teacher in the music world and their status as beloved indie-darlings-to-be. Such exciting steps are rewarding to see for such a truly deserving band, and we wish them all the best going forward. Onwards and upwards!
Words by Conni Ablitt
Photos by Amaliah Gherman
