Catch the English Teacher and Richard Hawley Performing “Transfer” by Joy Division at the BBC 6 Music Festival 2025

The English teacher and Richard Hawley came together to cover Joy Division’s “program.” Check it out below.

Live Performance at the BBC 6 Music Festival

Last night at the BBC 6 Music Festival in Manchester (March 28), the English teacher took the stage halfway through their set.

The vocalist Lily Fontaine welcomed the Yorkshire musician, stating that he was a “icon of Sheffield’s musical scene, and he has the best collection of jackets that I’ve ever seen.”

Fontaine then suggested creating a shelter for the performance, to which Hawley replied: “Yes, we will make a shelter. We must hurry because I have a bus to catch.”

Following this exchange, they launched into the 1979 Joy Division single, sharing vocal duties. Check it out below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53e-ww8kn3c

Collaboration and Excitement

Dag Frost from the English teacher explained that the collaboration came about after Hawley gave him his number during a tour support. “While the English teacher was in Tokyo, I texted him asking if he’d like to appear on our show, and he called me while I was lying in bed with his dogs,” Frost shared. “We chatted for about an hour!”

Richard Hawley added: “The collaboration happened because my kids said, ‘Oh, this is a really cool band that’s much younger than you and they really like what you’re doing.’” He confirmed their text exchange led to the performance.

Reflecting on the performance, Fontaine said, “It was fun; I smiled at the end,” to which Hawley agreed, saying: “Well, not too seriously, but they are from Leeds, I am from Sheffield, and we played a Manchester classic. Some may disagree, but I think it’s respectful and honorable.”

Previously, the group has expressed admiration for Hawley. When NME interviewed them at Glastonbury 2024, Fontaine stated: “He creates timeless music. If you don’t know him, his work transcends time, place, or age. His lyrics are beautiful and not overly elaborate. There are many reasons why I appreciate him.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuhnosigaog

Setlist and Future Plans

Setlist of the English Teacher:

'It Can Be Texas'
The World’s Largest Slab '
'I Don't Cry, You Cry'
'Albatross'
'You Are Wavy My Paint'
'Broken Cookies'
'Transmission' – with Richard Hawley
'R&B'
'Almost Daffodils'
'Albert Road'

In other news, the English teacher recently added a second show at the Roundhouse in London for their 2025 tour. This follows a significant year for the group, which included the release of their acclaimed album, “It Can Be Texas,” that received a glowing five-star review from NME and was ranked third on our list of the 50 best albums of 2024. Their track “Albert Road” was also recognized as the sixth best song of the year.

Last year, they also won the prestigious Mercury Prize, marking a historic win for a non-London act since Young Fathers of Edinburgh took the trophy in 2014.

As for Hawley, earlier this month, he announced the reissue of his album “Coles Corner” for its 20th anniversary along with a series of orchestral shows in the UK.