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.
Two years ago, Szmierek was working as a special education needs teacher in Manchester and self-publishing novels in his free time. All the while, his “pop poetry” – a blend of Self Esteem’s towering choruses and Georgia’s dancefloor bombast – was drawing an audience, first on the gig circuit and later on social media. His facility with language led to prominence within the city’s storied music scene, soon resulting in a star turn on Later… With Jools Holland.
