Manchester-based poet, writer, and producer Antony Szmierek has unveiled a new song from his upcoming debut album, Service Station At The End Of The Universe (not the title of a Lana Del Rey track or album btw hehe) set to release on February 28th. The latest track, Yoga Teacher, offers a satirical, true-to-life tale layered over 80s-inspired synths and a funky bassline, showcasing Szmierek’s signature lyricism and smooth flow. Released via Mushroom Music/Virgin Music Group, the song is accompanied by an official music video, made with previous collaborator Zak Watson, featuring Antony in full vinyasa flow. Speaking about the track, Antony said “the narrator wrestles with his own feelings towards masculinity, sexuality and his absentee father over the course of a surrealist and dreamlike yoga lesson. The more he tries to let go, the more his anxieties come to the surface. breathe in, hold… release”.
Yoga Teacher follows Antony Szmierek’s recent single The Great Pyramid Of Stockport, which dropped alongside the news of his debut album and has subsequently been added to BBC 6 Music’s playlist, as well as receiving significant support from BBC Radio 1 and further plays across BBC Radio 2.
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 is currently travelling the breadth of the UK & Europe as support to Faithless. He has announced his own headline tour across the continent in support of the album release next year. Full date listings as follows:
Let us know your thoughts on X (formely Twitter) @SceneLGBTQ and @DaleyPopScene and follow Antony Szmierek on his socials HERE and stay tuned for more new music and news on the forthcoming record to follow.