Description
Release Date Friday 21st August 2026
All pre-orders will be dispatched/made ready for collection on that day.
Manchester-born poet, writer and producer Antony Szmierek announces the release of his second album, ‘Decoding Birdsong’. Just eighteen months after his critically acclaimed debut, Szmierek returns with a new body of work that signals a clear evolution in both sound and scope. Rooted in his personal touchstones within electronic music, the album pairs expansive, immersive production with histrademark razor-sharp lyricism.
Where his debut had been a solo endeavour, ‘Decoding Birdsong’ brims with collaboration, including Australia’s Pretty Girl, London band Los Bitchos and Bristol producer 1-800 GIRLS, as well as Imogen and the Knife and indie pop star Ellur.
Speaking about the new record, Antony explains, “‘Decoding Birdsong’ is about choosing to believe in something. Coincidence as a religion. Making your own luck in the face of loneliness and doubt. The smallest things can feel seminal, seismic and life affirming if you just choose to lean in, but it also asks if this is a dangerous way to live. What happens when your numbers come in? What are the consequences of luck? Should you listen to the birds, or are you only ever going to hear what you want to hear? To help us explore this: a heron, dice, a plummeting airplane, the late-night TV show Aussie Gold Hunters and a fibreglass replica of Godzilla.”
‘Decoding Birdsong’ follows the wild success of his debut album, 2025’s ‘Service Station at the End of the Universe’, which launched Antony into a whirlwind of Glastonbury, Jools Holland and repeat BBC airplay. He’s sold out venues across theUK and Europe, and in February 2026 performed to 20,000 while closing Solomun’s Alexandra Palace shows.
The former English teacher had been working at a college for special needs students when his blend of spoken word and dance music started taking off, earning him accolades such as 6 Music’s Artist Of The Year in 2023 following his ‘Poems ToDance To’ EP and frequent comparisons to Mike Skinner, Jarvis Cocker and John Cooper Clarke.
Tracklisting
1. Chalk
2. The Heron
3. Bookie’s Favourite (ft. Ellur)
4. Godzilla Hotel (ft. 1-800 Girls)
5. Seminal
6. Flight Simulator (ft. Imogen and the Knife)
7. Dave’s Angling Superstore (ft. MAX RAD)
8. The First Five Minutes Of Magnolia (ft. Pretty Girl)
9. The Same Heron Again
10. Commune
11. You’re Not Supposed To Do This Forever
12. Decoding Birdsong
13. Aussie Gold Hunters
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