In a shocking flip of occasions, Leeds-based guitar band English Trainer received the 2024 Mercury Prize for his or her debut album This Might Be Texas, marking a triumph for indie rock.
This four-piece group, fashioned in 2020 whereas finding out at Leeds Conservatoire, have rapidly risen to prominence on the UK music scene, capturing the hearts of listeners and critics alike with their distinctive sound and northern attraction.
English Trainer’s music units them other than their post-punk contemporaries. Their sound is a product of numerous influences together with The Beatles’ melodic sensibilities, Siouxsie and the Banshees’ gothic attract, and Amy Winehouse’s uncooked emotion. A novel mix of surrealism and social commentary of their lyrics plus delicate musical experimentation gives a contemporary tackle the traditional guitar-band format.
This modern method has not gone unnoticed, with the Mercury Prize judges praising the album for its creativity and persona. Lily Fontaine, the band’s lead vocalist, expressed their astonishment at profitable the celebrated award: “It’s surreal, looks like a dream – we should thank [producer] Marta Salgoni. She made so many nice sounds.”
Salgoni’s experience in crafting intricate soundscapes contributed to the album’s “delicate integration of musical experimentation”, in response to the judges.
Fontaine’s response mirrored the band’s real shock at this high-profile recognition of their inventive endeavours. English Trainer’s success story is intertwined with their signing to Island Data, a serious label – house to the likes of Ariana Grande, Drake and fellow nominees The Final Dinner Social gathering – that performed an important function in launching their debut album.
This collaboration has not solely birthed a prize-winning album however reignited discussions concerning the vitality of indie rock in an period dominated by algorithmic playlists and ephemeral viral hits.
The victory underscores indie rock’s enduring attraction and potential impression on the modern music scene. Because the style continues to evolve, bands like English Trainer push boundaries and problem conventions, creating music that resonates with audiences and critics alike.
The band’s success additionally highlights the significance of regional music scenes in nurturing expertise. By honouring figures from the Leeds music scene throughout their acceptance speech, English Trainer acknowledged the supportive ecosystem that helped propel them to nationwide recognition. The band is the primary act from outdoors London to win the prize for a decade.
The 2024 Mercury Prize ceremony additionally marked a major shift within the award’s presentation format. The occasion was held within the extra intimate house of Abbey Street Studios for the primary time, shifting away from its conventional venue on the Hammersmith Apollo.
This variation, and the choice to broadcast the ceremony on BBC 4, replicate the Mercury Prize’s adaptation to altering instances and its dedication to profiling new music for a broader viewers. As Jo Twist, chief-executive of the British Phonographic Trade (BPI) which oversees the Mercury Prize, informed MusicWeek:
For the 2024 Mercury Prize we are going to work imaginatively with the BBC to ship a premium programme of music content material and digital engagement that may, as ever, profit all 12 artists in reaching a wider viewers, offering an vital platform for his or her evolving profession and musical journey.
The transfer to a extra intimate setting at Abbey Street, and the deal with recorded performances, might have enhanced the prize’s skill to showcase the nominated artists’ music in a extra direct and accessible method.
However, whereas English Trainer’s win is undoubtedly a trigger for celebration, it additionally sheds mild on the challenges bands face in in the present day’s music trade. The stark actuality is that it’s widespread for these accomplishments to coexist with being on common credit score, residing at house, or couch browsing. It’s a precarious enterprise.
On the upside, as English Trainer bask within the glow of their £25,000 award, the music world eagerly anticipates their subsequent strikes.
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