British spoken word and indie hip-hop artiste Antony Szmierek is riding high with a distinctive way of mixing introspective and poetic lyrics with some cool nostalgic beats.

He is often compared to English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, also known as The Streets – and we can see why. That is quite an honourable connection.

As a pretty new name in the music scene, his club-ready single “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy” really propelled his career in a big way with support from UK radio.

This rising star who released his debut EP this year that touches on relatable situations in life that resonated with many music fans.

We spoke to Szmierek about his early beginnings, his creative process, and his debut Poems To Dance To EP. We’re all ears on this young man and you should too.

Hi Antony, how has 2023 been treating you so far?

There’s been a lot of change in quite a short space of time, but everything has been pointing to 6 Music Festival and launching the EP in a proper way.

I kicked off with a show in the Pink Room at YES here in Manchester, and I’m starting to see the crowds get bigger and more engaged/know the tunes. So that’s nice.

I’m just excited I guess, that’s the overriding feeling so far.

It’s been quite a ride for you so far – you started off first and foremost as a writer of novels and poems. Was there a particular moment that made you step into the limelight as a musician?

It was performing to an audience – short stories at first, and then poems on open mics around Manchester.

Trying to get that laugh but then working to hold silence confidently and just getting that feedback in whatever form in real time. It was a buzz, and something I realised slowly that made me stand out.

In the live show with the band there’s a lot of conversations with the audience and a bit of poetry still. I always wanted to be in an indie band, really. And this was my way in.

What are your earliest memories of music? Who were you listening to and how has it changed?

My earliest memory of music is hearing “Rhythm Is A Dancer” in the car home from Blackpool and being quite taken by it. But I was two when that came out, so it must have been a bit later.

Mum used to listen to Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs every week which probably started my obsession with live radio and schmaltz.

And then as a teenager I was right in the middle of the indie revolution with Arctics and Arcade Fire and all of that. That’s when I really started listening listening. Going to gigs was everything then – my whole identity.

Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Action Bronson and LCD Soundsystem, so we’ll see where that leads me.

How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

I’ve had comparisons with The Streets a lot, which I think is fair and a bit of an honour. But I’m definitely finding more apt comparisons now the music is getting out there a bit more.

There’s a bit of Arab Strap in there, I hope. And my friend Ella recently compared my sound to a band we were all into a few years back The Rhythm Method that I was buzzing with.

Tell us a bit about that journey of finding your sound – how do you see it changing and evolving?

I started off with these little UKG beats as I like how my words sat over those and they reminded me of growing up. I was making all the music myself then, just lots of basic loops that we’ve since expanded on and improved.

But I’ve always had a desire to sing and move through lots of different genres.

It was “The Hitchhiker” and “Rock And A Calm Place” that crystalised it for me, in terms of where I see it going.

UK dance music played by an indie band; I think. And there’s no moaning – there’s sighing, sure – but I like the idea of it all feeling cautiously optimistic.

What does your creative process look like? As a writer, do the lyrics and message usually come first, or do you start with a beat or sound?

It’s still always words first. There has to be a concept for me. I’m asking, “What do I want people to take from this?” – before I set anything down.

Lots of notes app scribbles, lots of overheard conversations. And then I’ll think, “Oh, this is quite a sad concept; it’d be interesting to set it over something really upbeat” – or the other way around.

How can the music bring something out of the words that wasn’t there before?

The response to “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy” has been amazing. Why do you think that song has resonated so well with listeners?

It’s hard to say! It’s now the benchmark for not overthinking things, because it was in no way supposed to be a single and happened quite quickly.

I had the idea of someone on this ambiguous journey, in the back of a taxi to nowhere, and then all of these sci-fi images just presented themselves to hang it on. I think ultimately its power is the simplicity of it.

Tell us more about the process of creating this new Poems To Dance To EP. What were you inspired by? Is there something new you wanted to try after your previous releases?

There’s a lot of me reflecting on my place in the world on it: how I grew up, how I’m feeling in my own head, and my relationship with myself and others.

I wanted to be honest and sincere – I think that’s much more difficult to do than sneering and this sort of removed irony that’s really popular across all art currently.

I want people to listen and feel understood. And I want people to dance.

Is there something you want listeners to take away from the project?

That feeling you get when you read a good book and you get hung up on a particular line – when it feels written specifically for you – I want that in audio form.

If Poems To Dance To EP were a film, what would it be and why?

I think it’d star an actor known previously only for quite broad comedy roles, given a chance to shine with some robust material and nailing it. Like what Adam Sandler did in Uncut Gems, but UK. So, maybe like one of The Inbetweeners,

I’m thinking the tall one, in this indie rom-com set in Manchester. Critics are calling it the sleeper hit of the summer.

If you had to introduce yourself with just one song of yours, what would it be and why?

I think “Rock And A Calm Place” covers all bases. It's fun and danceable but has this undercurrent of discontent and worry that I’m all about.

What else can we expect from you in 2023?

More music! Some really exciting collabs coming sooner than you’d think, and I’m in deep writing this next project that’ll hopefully start trickling out after the summer.

Hopefully people get to come and see the live show at festivals this summer and if not, we’re starting to think about our own tour at the end of the year.

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All Images: Max Stone

Writer | Kevin Yeoh

When he isn’t making sure Sound of Life stories are published in a timely manner, Kevin enjoys wandering aimlessly in Kuala Lumpur city, going down the YouTube rabbit hole and discovering new music.