The last few years have been a wild ride for the Manchester-based poet, writer and producer. The multi-artist Antony Szmierek has captivated audiences with his thought-provoking lyricism across rap, spoken word and dance music, leading to him being named Artist of The Year 2023 on BBC 6 Music. It was the release of his single "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Fallacy" that kick-started his meteoric rise.

Growing up with his brother and single mum on the outskirts of Manchester, Szmierek was surrounded by the city's pride in Oasis and Haçienda, but he never thought of pursuing a career in music himself. Instead, reading was his first love: "I’ve always had an overactive imagination and reading was an amazing escape," he says in his press statement.

Interest in the written word grew and Antony Szmierek self-published two novels, The Albatross and The Hypocrite. He cut his words down to spoken word poems, which he began performing at open mic nights in crowded clubs.

Antony Szmierek impressed on stage and his poetry had the ability to speak to people's own experiences. This led to the purchase of a keyboard just as the Covid pandemic hit in 2020 and he learnt the basics of songwriting and production.

Szmierek's debut album Service Station At The End of the Universe, which explores escapism, self-expression and deep emotion, will be released on 28 February. The album is both a reference to the petrol stations that Szmierek spent a lot of time in over the past year while playing in the UK and an homage to the sequel to Hitchhiker's, The Restaurant At The End of the Universe. It's an ironic tale of punks, weirdos and Manchester types who all hang out at mythical rest stops, as well as Szmierek's own exploration of his life today.