Antony Szmierek

Manchester-born poet, writer, and producer Antony Szmierek teams up with Imogen and the Knife for new single 'Flight Simulator'.

Antony Szmierek today shares another preview of his forthcoming second album Decoding Birdsong, with the release of ‘Flight Simulator’ - a euphoric melodic techno track featuring the haunting, balladic vocals of Imogen and the Knife.

The track beautifully showcases Antony Szmierek’s sharp spoken-word delivery over glitchy techno production, while the ethereal, dreamlike quality of Imogen and the Knife’s vocals adds a hypnotic edge - a true representation of poetry built for the dancefloor. 

Speaking about the song, Szmierek shares

“the twisting monologue of someone considering landing a falling airplane on luck alone. lost loves, video games and messages from the birds. it’s about putting your faith in the unknown, and pure belief before logic and reason. an expansive, cinematic roller of a tune with ethereal backing vocals and poetry tumbling over one another into the abyss."

Accompanying the release is an official music video starring comedian and actor Craig Cash (The Royle Family, Early Doors) alongside Imogen and the Knife, with direction handled by Zak Watson, a frequent creative collaborator of Antony’s.

‘Flight Simulator’ will feature alongside previous singles ‘Seminal’, ‘Chalk’ and ‘The Heron’ on Decoding Birdsong, which will be released on 21st August via Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group. 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. 

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 the UK 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 6Music’s Artist of the Year in 2023 following his Poems To Dance To EP, and frequent comparisons to Mike Skinner, Jarvis Cocker and John Cooper Clarke.

Service Station at the End of the Universe was rooted in Greater Manchester, its locals and landmarks, such as the Stockport Pyramid. And he began feeling the consequences of that: suddenly, everyone knew his name at the pub – on some days, that felt good; on others it made him feel like he was in The Truman Show.

Feeling like something needed to change after a year of experiencing the industry’s high highs and low lows, Antony recently relocated to Bristol, trading the familiar for distance and peace. Decoding Birdsong was made in his new home city, with his long-time collaborator Max Rad. 

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.” 

Following a run of European shows and his first-ever US tour, Antony Szmierek has already joined The Streets on a series of summer dates, with one final performance still ahead. He'll then head out on a run of in-store appearances before embarking on his own UK headline tour, including major shows at London's O2 Forum Kentish Town and Manchester Academy. Later in the year, he'll also appear as a special guest for John Cooper Clarke at Manchester Apollo. 

Picture by Zak Watson

Live Dates

13/08 — Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary

19/08 — Fighting Cocks, Kingston (Banquet Records performance - tickets available here)

20/08 — Resident, Brighton (in-store performance - tickets available here)

22/09 — Rough Trade East, London (in-store performance - tickets available here)

23/09 — Rough Trade, Bristol (in-store performance - tickets available here)

24/09 — Rough Trade, Nottingham (in-store performance - tickets available here)

25/09 — Jacaranda Baltic, Liverpool (in-store performance - tickets available here)

15/08 — Boomtown Festival, UK

21/08 — Rock N Roll Circus (w/ The Streets), Norwich, UK

28/08 — Big Feastival, UK

01/09 — The Crown, Nantwich (Apple Stump Records performance - tickets available here)

02/09 — Night and Day, Manchester (Picadilly Records performance - tickets available here)

05/09 — Concerto Record Store, Amsterdam, NL (in-store performance - tickets available here)

07/09 — Music Mania, Ghent, BE (in-store performance - tickets available here)

09/09 — Rough Trade Berlin, Berlin, DE (in-store performance - tickets available here)

08/10 — O2 Academy Leeds, Leeds, UK

09/10 — The Level, Nottingham, UK

11/10 — Cambridge Junction, Cambridge, UK

12/10 — O2 Academy Oxford, Oxford, UK

14/10 — CHALK, Brighton, UK

15/10 — O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK

16/10 — O2 Academy Bournemouth, Bournemouth, UK

17/10 — O2 Academy Bristol, Bristol, UK

20/10 — Queen Margaret Union (QMU), Glasgow, UK

21/10 — Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

23/10 — Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK

28/10 — The Button Factory, Dublin, IE

21/11 — Manchester Apollo (w/ John Cooper Clarke), Manchester, UK