Indie favourites learn lessons from life on the road

It's a learning process for English Teacher. SIMON RUSHWORTH catches up with the indie rockers a year on from their Mercury Music Prize triumph.

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FOR Lewis Whiting it was a surreal experience. A year after breakout Leeds rockers English Teacher pulled off a stunning Mercury Music Prize win, the band was back at the industry’s annual shindig watching local hero Sam Fender scoop the top award in front of a febrile hometown crowd at Newcastle's Utilita Arena.

“It was really fun,” admits Lewis as he sips on a cup of tea back home at his parents’ home in Preston. It's the calm before the storm for English Teacher’s guitarist with this month's headline tour of the UK and Ireland looming large.

“I really enjoyed being there. We went there to soak up the night, get back to where things really kicked off for us and experience a packed arena, celebrating great music.

“It felt good. It made me really think about what we've achieved during the last 12 months and I found myself in a very reflective mood. The time’s flown by and that made me realise how much I want to focus on the next thing that we're doing.”

That next thing is the hotly anticipated followup to award-winning debut This Could Be Texas. The Island Records release peaked at eight in the UK album charts and, largely due to its Mercury Music Prize gong, continues to open doors and spark opportunities for a band that, in the eyes of many, came out of nowhere this time last year.