Leeds indie newcomers English Teacher may only be just getting started, but they’re already starting to pick up attention in all the right places. Words: Jamie Muir. Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

"The EP feels a lot more cohesive, it sounds a lot more like us, but there's a huge scope for what we could do that's so exciting," notes English Teacher guitarist Lewis Whiting. Right at the starting line of where their powers could take them, the band's razor-sharp edge of stinging experimental alt-rock and post-punk has already made them a must-see name at inner-city new music showcases over the past few months. It's enough to ensure that they must be bursting with confidence as 2022 approaches, right? "I mean, it'll be exciting to try out some shit," continues Lewis. "It might be terrible, though."

It's not the sort of thing you'd expect one of the most exciting new bands going into the new year to say, but English Teacher are the candid shot of realism needed right now. A swirling mix of different influences, tastes and visions, their 2021 has been punctuated by the sort of moments and releases that stop you in your tracks. It must come from asking a pretty important question of themselves. "Is this terrible? It's always a big question! We've done this with a few different tunes, one that's on the EP, actually! I think it was Lewis or Nick [Eden, bass] who were like, is this good? And we were like - NO! And now it's great!"

"Not really selling ourselves, are we?" beams Lily.