Together with singer Lily Fontaine, guitarist Lewis Whiting and Bassist Nicholas Eden, sparkling water and lime in the BI Nuu are warmed up for their appearance there.
English Teacher appear there as part of the premiere of “Son Estrella Galicia” – a microfestival that will continue on September 9 with Black Lips, Jaguar No Me, Diamante Negro and on December 13th with Lambrini Girls in the capital in said Kreuzberg Venue. The idea of doing this: provide unique music shows and further spread the philosophy of sustainability and community. Because that’s what “Son Estrella Galicia” has, who have always wanted to focus on artist funding and want to go with a sustainable touch on the public.
You look so deeply relaxed, even though you are still on stage. What’s up?
Lily Fontaine: We are just starting to warm up again, and that makes it out – we are unusually well rested. After we all had some time for ourselves, it is now the more fun. Even if I forget the Lyrics at the concert like yesterday and the boys simply have to loop into endless loop, it doesn’t get me out of the frame – I just had to resist a laugh.
Lewis Whiting: At first I thought that you had technical problems until you turned around and whispered: “How does the first line work?” And I couldn’t remember either! (laughs)
Lily: But it didn’t ruin the evening – just changed it.
What makes you so confident about your live shows?
Lily: Therapy! But it is an eternal process …
Lewis: With me too. Time helps to feel good on stage with yourself. I used to be a real fear of stage, but that’s a long time over.
Nicholas Eden: For me, the level of self -confidence in terms of my skills varies. It depends on how my surroundings react to me.
Your debut album This Could Be Texas came out in 2024. I heard you are currently working on the new. How does it feel?
Nicholas: It is a mixture of patient and impatient moments. Sometimes I can hardly wait to throw new things into the setlist and then we try to turn down a gear again as a band and take time for everything so that we can stay with the good feeling.
Lily: We don’t want to forced anything, even if we already know that a little self -imposed pressure can be a useful thing. Nevertheless, we hope that everything will of course come together.
Nicholas: But we are slowly getting summer and I just find everything easier anyway.
Let’s talk about summer drinks – which are your favorites?
Lewis: I am always available for a Negroni!
Lily: I can’t enjoy that at all, too strong. But now I stopped drinking anyway. So the non -alcoholic alternatives are now required. I used to love Margaritas. Now I will test this in anti-alcoholic in summer.
Nicholas: For me it is now around two years without alcohol. But I enjoyed drinking a Bloody Mary, it always worked.
Lily: Oh yes, delicious, I felt that way too! I like spicy drinks.
Why did you renounce alcohol?
Nicholas: There were some reasons for both of us … I would like to do them now. But yes, now sparkling water with fresh lime makes me happiest.
Lily: Bingo again, that’s my favorite too. That’s why we have so much of it in the backstage. We are full of rock’n’roll! (laughs)
Do you have the feeling that you live a healthy life?
Lewis: This varies and is far from perfection. But to get there somehow, you have to consciously go on it and make an effort. Although it doesn’t work so well for me on tour. A small learning curve is still visible.
Nicholas: I already live very healthy, only sugar is my final boss. I just can’t do without that, there is a fight.
Lily: I also have to consciously take care of myself. Also about my mental health. But being able to be creative every day is something that basically keeps my brain healthy.
Nicholas: Totally right. I have to make it more aware of that too. I am currently doing a lot in gratitude anyway.
Are you a journaling person?
Nicholas: I actually want to be, yes. But if I have typed something down in the past, I also deleted it afterwards.
Lily: You just need a notebook, then it doesn’t work with the deletion.
Nicholas: That would be romantic, right? (laughs)
Lewis: I’ve actually been doing journaling for a year and a half and I am completely obsessed with it. I don’t even know how I would work without being honest.
Speaking of functioning: does such a visit to the bar come down after a concert for you or is that a nonsense cliché of me?
Lily: Of course it works, for example, today I would like to test something in Berlin.
Nicholas: I’m there! It shouldn’t be too full.
Lily: Or the music too loud …
Lewis: … or be too bad.
What makes good music in this context?
Lily: In a bar, the kind of eclectic music can be – the main thing is that it does not come from an artificial intelligence.
Nicholas: In the best case, even songs that I don’t know that let me turn me on Shazam are yet going.
Lily: But as long as the drinks are not too expensive, I let a lot be convinced. I also want to be able to spend a round and still not be poor. Expensive shops put me in a bad mood.
If I got into a bar now and you were already in it – where would I find you?
Lily: No matter where, just not directly at the counter.
Nicholas: But who likes to sit there voluntarily?
Lily: For me that would be too much. It could look good, but in the end I only crumble crooked and crooked on a seat where I lack the backrest. I prefer to let myself fall back in a corner and look cool.
Lewis: So I can sometimes find me directly at the counter …
Because you have a good attitude?
Lewis: Probably that depends on each other – because I sit at the counter more often, I have this flawless attitude at all. (laughs)
What wishes are still gaping open to you?
Lily: I would like to write a real classic. A song that is not just a niche, but in which all people always sing along, who does not get out of their heads that you want to prelude to your children who survive the years. A song that is important. Like one of Joy Divison. Or the Beatles. That would be my biggest dream.
Lewis: This is probably the never -ending striving for a universally tangible work of art that not only lives at the moment, but beyond.
What I list out: You want to write a piece that you would also choose for karaoke singing.
Lily: Oh yes, exactly! At the moment I can’t imagine any of our songs in such a context. So we still have to write something like that.
Who would you like to hang out in a bar for a while?
Lily: With Derre Brown – Mentalist, Magician. It would certainly not be boring with that.
Nicholas: And not with Bob Morton either.
Lewis: Oh my god, I wanted to say that too! They would just be funny.
Nicholas: Then let Homer Simpson add, that would be a really good time for everyone! (laughs)
More about English Teacher
The Leeds quartet no longer knows exactly when you decided to enter into a steady relationship as an indie & math rock band. However, it is clear: her debut This Could Be Texas was released in 2024 and received a Mercury Prize and many critics: in Nen-Lobsang-like the 2022 Polyawkward-EP full of emphasis and self-empowerment, without any teacher.
More about “at the bar”
In our “at the bar” series there are artists: Inside with me-hoste Hella Wittenberg in a cozy atmosphere at the counter for a deep talk.