Antony Szmierek by Zak Watson
“Antony Szmierek’s luminous spoken word finds relief in vulnerability of all kinds: the
ephemerality of home; surrendering to the moment; love, loss and the mysteries in between.
In his songs, they swirl together like sediment in a wine glass. It’s an approach that could
easily turn mawkish, but his forthcoming debut album, Service Station at the End of the
Universe, proves he has a deft touch.” Observer “One To Watch”
“What makes ‘Service Station…’ so special is how it balances its narrative framework with
genuine heart as Szmierek examines how we find meaning in the spaces between
destinations” DORK
“Fundamentally British yet beautifully universal” DIY
“lyrics that plenty of post-punk bands would dream of penning are backed up by
chameleonic, club-tastic soundscapes” NME ****
“Manchester has an exciting new voice” Record Collector ****
“Service Station At The End Of The Universe feels like a grounded teenager sneaking
through the bedroom window to meet up with a crush they’ve been dreaming of pressing
flesh with, or holding hands with your bestie and legging it through a thunderstorm.
Enamoured is an understatement” The BEAT Magazine
“Szmierek has this wonderful talent of finding profound beauty in the mundane and lavishing
life’s inherent romance with a torrent of superlatives: all over a tight series of poppy hooks,
flashes of garage and deep dancefloor beats” Indie Is Not A Genre *
Manchester-based poet, writer, and producer Antony Szmierek today releases his highly anticipated debut album Service Station At The End Of The Universe, already earning critical acclaim with a smattering of 5* reviews.
Featuring the singles ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Fallacy’, ‘The Great Pyramid of Stockport’, ‘Yoga Teacher’, and ‘Angie’s Wedding’, the album is a bold fusion of dancefloor euphoria and introspective storytelling. Co-produced by Szmierek and his long-time collaborators Robin Parker, Max Rad, Louie Fulford-Smith and fresh Mancunian talent Yves Jones, Service Station At The End Of The Universe is a perfectly packaged collection of deep dancefloor poetry, with moments of downbeat, dark poignance.
Also on the album is focus track ‘Take Me There’, fulfilling the album’s promise of one last euphoria soaked party. Antony explains, “Admissions of love, loneliness and fears of burning the candle at both ends come to light as our protagonists leave their pretences at the door and give in to the music for what feels like the final time. If you can’t take me there, then nobody can.”
Each of the singles from Service Station At The End Of The Universe have been added to BBC 6 Music’s playlist, as well as receiving significant support from BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. This past Monday, he performed live on Radio 1 for Sian Eleri’s Future Flex – listen back here (from 1:21:40). He’ll be sitting down with Matt Wilkinson for his Apple Music1 show next week, as well as performing live from Maida Vale for Jo Whiley’s Radio 2 show later in March. Elsewhere, Antony is currently gracing the cover of Dork magazine (as well as being in their Hype List), was named an Observer Ones To Watch, has been announced on the line up for Reading & Leeds Festivals, featured in NME’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2025 and sees his profile grow across Europe with lots of support from radio stations across the continent, including a playlist addition from Germany’s Flux FM.
The past few years have been a wild ride for the artist. Cutting his teeth on the Manchester spoken word scene and gaining notoriety for his seamless flow skewering everything from the hardships of contemporary British life to finding the unexpected beauty in the everyday, it was the 2023 release of his single ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy’ that kicked off his meteoric ascent. Set against the backdrop of a pounding kick drum and club-ready synths, Szmierek lets loose a stream of consciousness that lays out his vision of musical vulnerability and communal escapism: “Everything’s ironic now, post-post-punk. Take me away” he says on the track.
The earworming record soon found its way onto the BBC 6 Music airwaves and led Szmierek to be named an Artist of the Year 2023 by the station. There followed appearances on Later… with Jools Holland, a BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session, multiple triumphant Glastonbury sets and a flurry of comparisons: to the pavement prose of The Streets, the poetry of John Cooper Clarke if he found himself at the Haçienda, or like Jarvis Cocker for the UK Garage generation. Yet, with the release of his 2023 indie-influenced EP Poems To Dance To and now his banger-filled, dancefloor-focused debut album, Service Station at the End of the Universe, Szmierek cements his sound as one that is distinctly his own.
Following a busy festival-filled summer, which included the aforementioned Glastonbury performances that were highlighted by The Guardian and praised by NME as a festival highlight, as well as playing to packed crowds at Truck, Latitude, and Boardmasters, Szmierek recently completed a tour across the breadth of the UK & Europe as support to Faithless. He is currently half way through a run of instore performances across the UK, ahead of his own headline tour across the continent in support of the album release. He will also be at SXSW next month, performing some showcases including the British Music Embassy stage show, curated by Steve Lamacq. Full run of shows as follows:
28 Feb – Piccadilly, Manchester (instore) – SOLD OUT
01 Mar – Rough Trade East, London (instore) – SOLD OUT
02 Mar – Banquet Records, Kingston (early instore) – SOLD OUT
02 Mar – Banquet Records, Kingston (late instore)
06 Mar – The Leadmill, Sheffield – SOLD OUT
07 Mar – University Stylus, Leeds
08 Mar – Boiler Shop, Newcastle
09 Mar – St Luke’s, Glasgow
11 Mar – SXSW, Austin, Texas (Live At Leeds stage)
12 Mar – SXSW, Austin, Texas (BME Northern showcase)
13 Mar – SXSW, Austin, Texas (Planetary Radio stage)
14 Mar – SXSW, Austin, Texas (British Embassy / BBC stage)
19 Mar – The Waterfront, Norwich
20 Mar – O2 Academy, Birmingham
21 Mar – Albert Hall, Manchester – SOLD OUT
22 Mar – The Dome, Liverpool
23 Mar – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham – SOLD OUT
27 Mar – Koko, London – SOLD OUT
28 Mar – Faith In Strangers, Margate
29 Mar – Concorde II, Brighton
30 Mar – The Trinity Centre, Bristol – SOLD OUT
04 Apr – The Grand Social, Dublin
09 Apr – Le Badaboum, Paris
10 Apr – Ancienne Belgique
11 Apr – YUCA, Cologne
13 Apr – Ideal Bar, Copenhagen
14 Apr – HÄKKEN, Hamburg
15 Apr – Kantine am Berghain, Berlin
17 Apr – Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam
18 Apr – Motel Mozaique, Rotterdam
19 Apr – Ekko, Utrecht – SOLD OUT
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