MEET MERPIRE // A Smirnoff Soda Presented LGBTQIA+ Local Artist Feature
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Presented by the OG vodka baddies themselves, Smirnoff are this month featuring the Naarm-based powerhouse that is, Merpire, as our LGBTQIA+ identifying, culture creating, emerging artist of the month!
Yep, the famed vodka favourite, and subsequent masterminds behind the fan-favourite ‘Smirnoff Soda’ range (that’s available in three fruity flavours, made with real fruit juice!), and ‘Smirnoff Hard Soda’ (these ones are low in sugar, lower in calories, 6% ABV and packed full on flavour) have decided to use this ad space to instead promote an emerging LGBTQIA+ local musician.
It’s a big vodka soda slay, celebrating those LGBTQIA+ icons who desire to create the backing track to your most iconic memories.
So next time you’re en route to a big gay gig, having the gals and the gays round for a drink, or meeting a ferociously fabulous someone at the bar, feel free to grab yourself an equally fabulous Smirnoff Soda.
MEET MERPIRE
Every now and then, we speak to an artist so real, so refreshingly honest, that it reminds us exactly why A Modern Gay’s Guide exists.
Why queer stories matter. Why spaces like this – where we celebrate the artists telling their stories on their own terms – are so damn important. And why we’re beyond proud to have Smirnoff backing our Queer Artist of the Month feature – because real, unfiltered queer talent deserves to be heard.
Merpire (she/her) is exactly that kind of artist.
After four years away, she’s back with Premonition – a song that isn’t just a comeback, but a full-circle moment. It’s the sound of someone finally stepping into exactly who they are.
“I spent years carrying shame around being bisexual – especially in relationships where people didn’t get it. But now? I’m done with that. This song is me letting go of that shame and just… existing as I am.”
QUEER DESIRE, UNFILTERED
There’s something quietly radical about queer people owning their desire – without shame, without explanation, especially for the first time…and ‘Premonition’ is drenched in that energy. Dusky, hypnotic synths, angular guitars, a tumbling, breathless chorus – it feels like the moment a crush turns electric.
This track went through a few iterations before landing where it did. Originally meant to be more rock-heavy, the song naturally pulled towards pop – so she leaned in, embracing the unexpected.
The result? A track that feels like tension, like urgency, like a secret that’s just about to be revealed…and we’re so here for it.
A QUEER FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT
For an artist whose music has always felt personal, but never explicitly queer, Premonition is a turning point. And just as fittingly, it arrives ahead of ‘The Altar of Us’, a sold-out queer storytelling event at Brunswick Music Festival, where Merpire will perform alongside Ruby Gill and Porpoise Spit.
“This is actually the first explicitly queer event I’ve ever played,” she admits.
“When I got the invite, I got emotional – like, ‘Wow, I finally get to step into this space and feel like I belong.’”
And honestly, back at Modern Gay’s Guide HQ, that same energy is exactly why we love what Smirnoff is doing with this collab article – giving a platform to real, unapologetic queer artists. No performative allyship, no empty branding – just genuine support for musicians shaping our community.
“I think back to my first UK tour,” Merpire reflects.
“I played with these incredible queer musicians in Ireland, and the energy from the crowd was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. That was the first time I really felt held by the queer community in music.”
In Australia, she admits, it’s taken longer to find that same sense of belonging – but it’s happening. Slowly, surely, and with artists like Merpire leading the charge.
THE INDUSTRY IN 2025: A GIANT MESS
Of course, being an artist right now? It’s brutal.
“The whole thing is a giant mess,” Merpire says bluntly. “If you’re not signed, it’s hard. But even if you are signed, no one really knows what they’re doing, because the internet moves faster than the industry can keep up.”
Social media has made musicians content creators first, artists second – something she, like many, struggles with.
“There’s a lot of pressure to constantly be putting yourself out there in this very curated, polished way,” she says. “But that’s what I love about Premonition – it’s messy, it’s real, and it’s me just putting my truth out there. No over-thinking, no second-guessing.”
MERPIRE’S FAST FAVES
Q. DEATH ROW MEAL?
A. A spicy margarita, halloumi chips, and a giant bowl of spicy pork ramen. (Chaotic but elite.)
Q. FAVE QUEER MUSICIAN?
A. Perfume Genius, however also with a special shout-out to her former bassist Mimi Gilbert!
Q. FAVE SMIRNOFF SODA?
A. Yuzu Citrus Burst…and not just because it pairs perfectly with ramen (Editor’s Note: This is FACTS!)
