Antony Szmierek
English poet, spoken-word performer and musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antony Szmierek is an English poet, spoken-word performer, musician and producer from Greater Manchester whose work combines spoken word with electronic and dance music.[1][2] He gained wider recognition with the 2022 single "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Fallacy", which received BBC Radio 6 Music airplay, and was named one of the station's Artists of the Year in 2023.[3][4][5]
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Antony Szmierek | |
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Antony Szmierek at Way Out West in Sweden in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 1990 (age 35) |
| Origin | Manchester, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Label | Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group |
Early life and education
Szmierek is from Hyde, Greater Manchester.[4] He worked as an English teacher, including at a college for school leavers with special educational needs.[6] Before focusing on music, he self-published the novels The Albatross and The Hypocrite, and performed spoken word at open-mic events in Manchester.[7]
Career
Szmierek began setting his poetry to music during the COVID-19 pandemic, after buying an electric piano.[7] His early releases include Endless Summer (2020) and Giving Up for Beginners (2021).[8] His single "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Fallacy" received BBC Radio 6 Music airplay and brought him wider attention.[4][5] He released the EPs Poems to Dance To and Seasoning in 2023, and was named one of BBC Radio 6 Music's Artists of the Year that year.[4][5] He later left teaching to work in music full-time.[6]
Szmierek has performed at Glastonbury Festival, including two sets in 2023, and recorded a session at BBC Radio 1's Maida Vale Studios.[9] His debut studio album, Service Station at the End of the Universe, was released on 28 February 2025 through Mushroom Music and Virgin Music Group; its title and songs reference the work of Douglas Adams.[10] It reached number 68 on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Dance Albums Chart.[11]
His debut studio album, Service Station at the End of the Universe (2025), reached number 68 on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Dance Albums Chart.[12]
His sophomore album, Decoding Birdsong (2026), which included singles The Heron, Chalk, Seminal and Flight Simulator reached number 30 in the UK Albums Chart, and number 2 on the UK Dance Albums Chart.[13]