Antony Szmierek has announced his second album ‘Decoding Birdsong’ with new single ‘Chalk’
The album is about choosing to believe in something, he says.
Antony Szmierek has announced 'Decoding Birdsong', his second album. On its way via Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group, it'll land on 21st August.
To accompany the announcement, the Manchester-born poet, writer and producer has unveiled a new single called 'Chalk'. The electro cut takes its cue from snooker documentary Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything, with Szmierek explaining that it "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."
It joins previously released house-leaning single 'The Heron' on the record - a track named after Ken, the 1920s taxidermied bird that also appears on the album's cover. The follow-up to 2025's 'Service Station at the End of the Universe' was made in Bristol, where Szmierek has recently set up base after leaving Greater Manchester behind.
Discussing the themes that run through the new record, Szmierek says: "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."
The full tracklist runs: 'Chalk', 'The Heron', 'Bookie's Favourite ft. Ellur', 'Godzilla Hotel ft. 1-800 GIRLS', 'Seminal', 'Flight Simulator ft. Imogen and the Knife', 'Dave's Angling Superstore', 'The First Five Minutes Of Magnolia ft. Pretty Girl', 'The Same Heron Again', 'Commune', 'You're Not Supposed To Do This Forever', 'Decoding Birdsong', 'Aussie Gold Hunters'.
To accompany the announcement, the Manchester-born poet, writer and producer has unveiled a new single called 'Chalk'. The electro cut takes its cue from snooker documentary Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything, with Szmierek explaining that it "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."
It joins previously released house-leaning single 'The Heron' on the record - a track named after Ken, the 1920s taxidermied bird that also appears on the album's cover. The follow-up to 2025's 'Service Station at the End of the Universe' was made in Bristol, where Szmierek has recently set up base after leaving Greater Manchester behind.
Discussing the themes that run through the new record, Szmierek says: "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."
The full tracklist runs: 'Chalk', 'The Heron', 'Bookie's Favourite ft. Ellur', 'Godzilla Hotel ft. 1-800 GIRLS', 'Seminal', 'Flight Simulator ft. Imogen and the Knife', 'Dave's Angling Superstore', 'The First Five Minutes Of Magnolia ft. Pretty Girl', 'The Same Heron Again', 'Commune', 'You're Not Supposed To Do This Forever', 'Decoding Birdsong', 'Aussie Gold Hunters'.
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