Antony Szmierek has already built up a healthy reputation as one of the hottest names to watch in UK music, but as he prepares to start showing us his debut album proper, he never thought it would take him to a Transylvanian castle. Dive in with our DORK x ELECTRIC CASTLE festival guide cover feature.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
In the sweltering heat of a British summer, while most of us are dreaming of exotic getaways, Antony Szmierek is gearing up for a musical adventure that’s anything but ordinary. The Manchester-based artist, who has rapidly ascended from classroom teacher to BBC 6 Music darling, is set to perform at Electric Castle, Romania’s mythical music festival nestled in the heart of Transylvania.
As Szmierek prepares to join an eclectic lineup featuring heavyweights like Massive Attack and Bring Me the Horizon, he’s taking a rare moment to catch his breath. “I’ve not been home much in July, so I’m doing normal things while I am, like getting my haircut. Might even cook my own food later,” he shares, painting a picture of an artist trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy amidst a whirlwind year.
The journey from classroom to castle stage has been nothing short of transformative. Reflecting on his newfound lifestyle, he muses, “I spend a lot of my time abroad thinking, ‘This is so great that this is my job; I could so easily still be in a hot classroom teaching Year 9 right now’.” This sense of gratitude permeates Szmierek’s approach to his burgeoning career, even as he navigates the challenges of life on the road.
2024 has been a year of relentless momentum. “It’s been really busy,” he admits. “It could have been a quiet period as I went away and wrote the album, but it’s just kept rolling on. I had these two special additional shows from the November tour at New Century Hall and Lafayette and have just been fully immersed in festival season.” For Szmierek, these live performances are more than just tour dates. “I sort of need the live shows between all the studio and promo stuff; they feel like a reward,” he reflects.
This musical evolution is perhaps best exemplified by his recent EP ‘Seasoning’, released last year. “It all just happened so quickly, and we were chasing our tails a bit, trying to catch the wave. I still really like it, but you always just want to push on and get better,” he says. The EP not only marked a significant milestone in his artistic journey but also helped refine his vision. “I think I figured out the sound there, or what this project should be. It’s optimism bottled, but there should be a healthy dose of melancholy, and you should be able to dance to it,” he explains. It’s a good way to work.
One track in particular, ‘The Words To Auld Lang Syne’, has taken on a life of its own. “‘The Words To Auld Lang Syne’ just keeps growing and changing the more we play it live, and that’s probably what I’m the most proud of. Seeing what that song means to people,” Szmierek shares, his words brimming with pride.
But Antony Szmierek isn’t one to rest on his laurels. With characteristic enthusiasm, he reveals, “There’s an album! I’m sorting through mixes today, actually. It’s been such a mad process, but I’m really proud of what we’ve made; it feels like a level-up but also a logical conclusion to everything I started a few years ago.” Fans won’t have to wait long for a taste of what’s to come. “The first single, ‘Rafters’, is out 25th July. It stands alone, but there are a few clues in there about where it’s all heading.”
“It’s optimism bottled, but there should be a healthy dose of melancholy”
Antony Szmierek
When it comes to songwriting, his approach is both microscopic and cosmic. “I think all my best songs either zoom in to the microscopic and super specific little things or zoom out so far that the focus is existential and ambiguous,” he reveals. “I’m writing a lot about people and the little things we do in order to make things bearable and meaningful. Like falling in love or dancing with our eyes closed.”
This attention to detail extends to his live performances. “The live show is always front and centre when I’m writing a song, and I never really want to include anything in a recorded song that I couldn’t do live,” he explains. “The end goal is always that connection between me and the audience, and when I’m writing, I’m always imagining what that might feel like. How can I take what is essentially a poem and elevate it?”
Szmierek’s appreciation for the live music experience is deeply rooted in his own festival encounters. Recounting a recent, emotionally charged moment, he recalls, “I got to see LCD Soundsystem on the Pyramid Stage, and I couldn’t stop crying. The world stopped for a moment, it felt like. Sunset, huge pyramid, a day off between shows and just this great collective sigh of relief and a huge outpouring of love from the crowd towards the band and each other.”
We’ve all been there, Antony. James Murphy just does that to you.
For Szmierek, the magic of live music often lies in its setting. “I think a lot of the time, the environment is the secret missing ingredient, and bands play a lot of black box rooms or arenas when they get to a certain size. The best gigs are always in churches or boats or castles,” he muses, unknowingly foreshadowing his upcoming castle performance at Electric Castle.
The prospect of performing at such a unique venue clearly excites Szmierek. “I haven’t [been before]! But it’s one of those that’s an immediate yes as soon as you see the location and the lineup,” he enthuses. His anticipation extends beyond his own performance. “It’s got a really stacked electronic bill this year. Obviously, Massive Attack, but I would love to catch DJ Shadow and Bonobo. In and around an actual castle? Are you joking?”
“There’s an album! I’m sorting through mixes today, actually”
Antony Szmierek
However, the glamour of international touring comes with its challenges. “We’re still doing everything ourselves and haven’t got a tour manager on board. So it’s a mixed bag,” Szmierek admits. “I hate that everyone is in a bad mood with me in an airport for no reason. They’re like a penance before the good stuff.” Despite these hurdles, he maintains a positive outlook. “Things are so busy that I do try to treat international shows as a mini-holiday. We had a great time recently playing in Hyres – because you get to see this place you’d have never seen otherwise.”
The deep connection between artist and audience is at the core of what being a musician means to Szmierek. “It becomes so wrapped up in your identity and sense of self that it’s impossible not to say, well, everything,” he reflects. “The last few years have been mad, and you kinda have to change with it, or it’ll swallow you up. It’s just how my brain works – I feel something, or I overhear something on the bus, and I write it down. The difference now is that people are actually listening, and that’s a beautiful feeling. I feel incredibly lucky, but I also want to do a good job.”
Despite his rising profile in the music world, Szmierek’s creative ambitions extend beyond songwriting. “I’m always writing poems that only really work on the page, so I’d like to publish those in some form when the time is right,” he reveals. “I’m always dabbling in prose stuff as well. Sometimes, an idea for a novel will hit me over the head when I’ve got a thousand emails to answer or a big show at the weekend, but you just sort of have to go with it, or you lose it forever. I’d love to do more of that.”
As Antony prepares to take the stage at Electric Castle, surrounded by the mythical landscapes of Transylvania, it’s clear that his journey is still just beginning. From the classrooms of Manchester to the castle grounds of Romania, Szmierek’s path is a testament to just how far music can take you. As he continues to blend the microscopic with the cosmic, the melancholic with the optimistic, one thing is certain: the world is listening, and Antony Szmierek has a lot more to say. “I’m just excited to put out this new material and fulfil the promises I’ve made with the EPs,” he offers as we part. Sounds like that payoff is coming very soon indeed. ■
Follow Dork’s Electric Castle Festival Guide Spotify playlist here.
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