Manchester poet, writer, and producer Antony Szmierek has revealed details of his second album, Decoding Birdsong, out 21st August via Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group.
The new record arrives just a year on from Szmierek‘s breakthrough debut success with Service Station at the End of the Universe.
Alongside the news, Antony has released new single ‘Chalk’, inspired by the snooker documentary Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything.
Antony says: “It’s about the idea that chalking a cue makes a marginal difference to the outcome – a metaphor for chaos theory and the win-or-lose nature of the music industry.”
The track premiered yesterday on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show and follows recent single, ‘The Heron’.
Decoding Birdsong was created in his new home city of Bristol, with long-time collaborator Max Rad.
The album is packed with collaborations, including Australia’s Pretty Girl, London’s Los Bitchos, and Yorkshire indie pop star Ellur.
Antony commented “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.”
Antony Szmierek has also announced a UK headline tour for this autumn, including a homecoming show at Manchester Academy.
He will also support The Streets this summer and appear as a special guest for John Cooper Clarke at Manchester Apollo in November.
Full UK & Ireland live date listings are as follows:
04/07 — Westival, Tenby, UK
10/07 — Castlefield Bowl (w/ The Streets), Manchester, UK
11/07 — Castlefield Bowl (w/ The Streets), Manchester, UK
24/07 — Kirkstall Abbey (w/ The Streets), Leeds, UK
15/08 — Boomtown Festival, UK
21/08 — Rock N Roll Circus (w/ The Streets), Norwich, UK
28/08 — Big Feastival, UK
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
LISTEN TO ‘CHALK’ | WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO
Decoding Birdsong is out 21st August – pre-save here.
Main Photo Credit: Zak Watson
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