Coming soon
Antony Szmierek announces details of second album ‘Decoding Birdsong’
It’s due to arrive just 18 months after his space-voyaging debut LP.
Poet/producer Antony Szmierek is back with the news that he’ll be dropping his sophomore full-length, ‘Decoding Birdsong’, on 21st August via Mushroom Music/Virgin Music Group - not even two years on from the release of his debut record ‘Service Station At The End Of The Universe’.
Described by Antony as being “about choosing to believe in something”, the new LP promises to be an introspective but dancefloor-ready exploration of luck, loneliness, and life changes, and will also see the Bristol-via-Manchester artist team up with a cast of collaborators including Max Rad, Ellur, and Imogen and The Knife.
Landing in the wake of preview single ‘The Heron’ is new cut ‘Chalk’, a Ronnie O’Sullivan-inspired number that Antony has said is “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.”
You can revisit our recent In The Studio interview with Antony - in which he tells us more about the inspirations behind ‘Decoding Birdsong’ - and watch the video for ‘Chalk’ below.
‘Decoding Birdsong’ tracklist:
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
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
Plus, Antony’s also going to be hitting the road later this year for what will be his biggest UK/IE headline tour to date. Catch him live on the following dates:
OCTOBER 2026
08 O2 Academy Leeds, Leeds
09 The Level, Nottingham
11 Cambridge Junction, Cambridge
12 O2 Academy Oxford, Oxford
14 CHALK, Brighton
15 O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
16 O2 Academy Bournemouth, Bournemouth
17 O2 Academy Bristol, Bristol
20 Queen Margaret Union (QMU), Glasgow
21 Newcastle University, Newcastle
23 Manchester Academy, Manchester
28 The Button Factory, Dublin
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