UKNY for August 23

Tonight at 7 p.m. on "UKNY," a conversation with Antony Szmierek, the affable Manchester-born, Bristol based multi-hyphenate — singer, songwriter, producer, poet — who released his wistful, perceptive, and dance-forward second album, Decoding Birdsong, on Friday.

The night after Decoding Birdsong flew to earth on heron's wings, Szmierek decamped to London's Rough Trade East to celebrate that monumental achievement with a stripped-back record store set, joined by his brother Martin on guitar. Leaning on backing tracks rather than his usual full band, Szmierek was quick to mention to the packed crowd that having this chance to release a sophomore record, let alone a debut, wasn't guaranteed and he couldn't quite believe he'd come this far already.

Clearly moved by the enthusiasm he saw in that room (with folks waving his vinyl album in the air), he confessed to being overwhelmed by the surreal situation, given that (barely) three years ago, he was a Manchester schoolteacher and local spoken word artist. He only began to dedicate himself seriously to music during the pandemic, which catapulted into real momentum with his first single, 2023's "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Fallacy," quickly embraced by BBC Radio 6 Music (and this little show too!).

Szmierek has since ticked off a series of watershed moments, including a major label deal, Glastonbury sets, and a live performance on "Later with Jools Holland." This autumn, Szmierek and his full band commence a headlining UK tour which includes major venues like London's O2 Forum Kentish Town and Manchester Academy.

I'd first interviewed Szmierek in London in 2025 following his exhilarating debut album, Service Station at the End of the Universe; a warm, revealing conversation. At that time, he'd not yet toured North America — which changed this past spring when Antony and his band finally played in New York at Baby's All Right, where we caught up to talk about the untidy emotional revelations and layered symbolism of Decoding Birdsong. It's also, deliciously, a dance album, an acceleration not only of BPM, but Szmierek's lyrical flow and frankness, from inconvenient panic attacks to the isolation that success can also bring.

Very much a dance album with a dark undertow, Szmierek, who has relocated to Bristol, co-produced with Max Rad and also invited some friends to collaborate too, including Ellur, Imogen and the Knife, Los Bitchos, and 1-800-Girls. We talked about some of those friendships — as well as the larger issues facing working class musicians and the obstacles they face in today's brutal economy.

Also in tonight's mix, solo Ellur and Imogen and the Knife plus new releases from Gotts Street Park, Liana Flores, and James Ellis Ford, who is also the Mercury Prize-nominated executive producer of the HELP(2) compilation.

That's "UKNY," Sundays from 7-8 p.m., streaming online, and in the Archives after broadcast. The interview with Antony Szmierek will be available to stream after broadcast.