Manchester-born poet, writer, and producer Antony Szmierek returns with his first new music of 2026, unveiling 'The Heron'.
‘The Heron’ is a shimmering, disco-inflected house cut driven by his signature lyricism and inspired by his encounters with a heron along the banks of the River Mersey. The track premiered on Lauren Laverne’s show on BBC 6 Music, marking Szmierek’s first release since his critically acclaimed 2025 debut album Service Station At The End Of The Universe.
Szmierek has long believed in signs from the universe. One arrived in the form of a heron nesting along the Mersey’s banks that he revisited for years. Antony saw himself in the bird: a creature of two worlds, caught between water and land, just as he found himself between his ordinary Manchester life and newfound public attention.
Listen to ‘The Heron’ on the Premier League playlist.
Speaking about the meaning behind the song, Antony shares “Many of us are adrift in a world of short form slop and a punishing news cycle, but The Heron provides a manifesto for survival. Patience, self-reliance, looping piano and relentless bass.
“The lyrics imagine the bird as a sort of preacher. An antidote to modern malaise and a reminder to enjoy the stillness as well as the dance. You’ll never be alone again, my love.”
‘The Heron’ was produced by Antony and his long-time collaborator Max Rad, with whom he crafted much of his debut album. That record’s breakout success propelled Szmierek into a whirlwind run of festival appearances, including Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, SXSW and Eurosonic, a TV debut on Jools Holland, and repeat BBC airplay. Since then, he’s sold out venues across the UK and Europe, and last month closed Solomun’s Alexandra Palace shows, playing to an audience of 20,000 across two nights.
Now Antony Szmierek brings his renowned live show, often described as a kind of communion, to the United States for the first time. Newly announced tour dates will see him perform in Chicago, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in May, after a tour of Europe.
