Los Bitchos, Imogen and the Knife, and more to feature on new Antony Szmierek album, Decoding Birdsong

Decoding Birdsong follows Szmierek's debut album, Service Station At The End Of The Universe, released last year. "Chalk" is the second single to arrive from the upcoming collection of songs, and was inspired by the snooker documentary Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything.

Speaking about the track, Szmierek says, “It’s about the idea that chalking a cue makes a marginal difference to the outcome - a metaphor for chaos theory and the win-or-lose nature of the music industry.”

While Szmierek's debut was a solo work, Decoding Birdsong sees him welcome collaborators, including Pretty Girl, Los Bitchos, 1-800 GIRLS, Imogen and the Knife, and Ellur. The album reflects a need for change for Szmierek, as he moved from Manchester to Bristol and went on to record the songs there.

Discussing Decoding Birdsong, he explains: "Decoding Birdsong is about choosing to believe in something. Coincidence as a religion. Making your own luck in the face of loneliness and doubt. The smallest things can feel seminal, seismic and life affirming if you just choose to lean in, but it also asks if this is a dangerous way to live.

What happens when your numbers come in? What are the consequences of luck? Should you listen to the birds, or are you only ever going to hear what you want to hear? To help us explore this: a heron, dice, a plummeting airplane, the late-night TV show Aussie Gold Hunters and a fibreglass replica of Godzilla.”

Decoding Birdsong artwork

Decoding Birdsong tracklist

"Chalk"
"The Heron"
"Bookie’s Favourite ft. Ellur"
"Godzilla Hotel ft. 1-800 GIRLS"
"Seminal"
"Flight Simulator ft. Imogen and the Knife"
"Dave’s Angling Superstore"
"The First Five Minutes Of Magnolia ft. Pretty Girl"
"The Same Heron Again"
"Commune"
"You’re Not Supposed To Do This Forever"
"Decoding Birdsong"
"Aussie Gold Hunters"