MEET ROBERT BAXTER // A Smirnoff Soda Presented LGBTQIA+ Local Artist Feature
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Presented by OG vodka baddies themselves, Smirnoff are this month featuring the Naarm-based powerhouse that is, Robert Baxter, 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 ROBERT BAXTER
Every now and then, we meet an artist who reminds us exactly why A Modern Gay’s Guide exists – to amplify real, beautifully complex queer voices telling their stories with guts, vulnerability, and zero performative fluff.
This month, that artist is Robert Baxter.
A Naarm-based trans singer-songwriter, Robert’s music doesn’t just invite you into his world – it flings open the door and offers you a glass of wine while you cry. His debut EP, Playlist for a Life That Doesn’t Exist Yet, is a slow-burn exploration of identity, longing, and the messy business of becoming.
THIS ONE’S FOR THE DEEP FEELERS
Robert’s sound lives somewhere between soft indie folk and bedroom pop – but more than that, it lives in emotion. These aren’t tracks built for TikTok virality or fleeting hype. They’re for the people who want to feel something real.
His lyrics hit like poetry whispered into a late-night phone call. One moment he’s recounting the feeling of being loved for the first time as a trans man, the next he’s grappling with queer grief, gender euphoria, and what it means to be visible without being defined by it.
“I think a lot of my music is really deeply queer,” he explains in our interview, “but it’s not always obvious. It’s more about the emotional truth than making a statement.”
A QUEER VOICE THAT DOESN’T SHOUT – BUT STILL ECHOES
What makes Robert’s work so quietly powerful is its refusal to be pinned down. He’s not trying to package his identity into something palatable. Instead, he writes like he lives – with nuance.
“I’ve always been drawn to storytelling that feels like diary entries,” he says. “Even if you don’t relate to the exact experience, you can still find yourself in the emotion.”
And that, frankly, is the magic of Robert Baxter. He doesn’t over-explain or simplify the queer experience. He just sings it as it is.
THE NEXT CHAPTER IS COMING…
After playing shows across Naarm – including a set at Midsumma and support slots for local queer favourites – Robert’s quickly becoming a must-watch artist in Australia’s alt-queer scene.
He’s just wrapped recording his next project, too. So if Playlist was his “who I am” record, this next one might just be his “what now?” – and we’re very ready. Watch this space!
Smirnoff is proud to celebrate real queer artists shaping the soundtrack of our lives – with all the grit, grace, and garlic bread (see below!) that comes with it.
From Robert’s raw ballads to your next playlist-must have, this is what happens when queer voices are given the mic – unfiltered, unapologetic, and completely unforgettable.
ROBERT’S FAST FAVES
Q. DEATH ROW MEAL
A. Gnocchi in a garlic cream sauce, with a side of garlic bread. Go big, go garlic, go out in style.
Q. FAVE QUEER MUSICIAN?
A. Anohni. Haunting, iconic, and always gives chills.
Q. FAVE SMIRNOFF SODA
A. Smirnoff Crush Zero Sugar Mango Peach – it’s giving vibey summer-night-out energy in a can, without the sugar.
