Robert Baxter has just released their debut EP you wouldn’t expect cupid to cry and it’s a series of stunning electronic pop tunes.

OUTinPerth spoke to Robert ahead of the release and they shared that they were really excited about everyone getting to hear their newest music.

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Over the last few months, a series of singles including Blue, Supernova and Kiss have shown what a great range the artist has in their work.

Baxter said in making the EP they really wanted to build their own skills and knowledge.

“I wanted to practice producing.” Baxter said. “I think I’m really capable at song writing but producing is something that was hard for me.

“I wrote a bunch of one-minute songs just so I could practice producing. I think one of the things I was lacking is how do I differentiate between verse one and verse two, and things like that. So when I just wrote a verse and a chorus it freed up my mind a little bit.”

When an opportunity to perform a live show came up a few years ago Baxter realised they didn’t have enough original music, so all these short demos were extended out into full songs, and this is where the genesis of their new EP came from.

The six track EP is a tight offering with each track being just a few minutes long, a trend in music production recently.

“I think in the age that we’re in, the digital age, everyone’s attention spans are so short.

“Instead of having an extra verse and a chorus, if that lets someone listen to again, it’s better for me if they listen to it again.” Baxter says noting the influence of streaming services on the way music is created.

Baxter jokes the combination of shorter songs and the sped-up music trend where songs are played at a faster speed than their original production is quite a combination.

“I think it works on TikTok. Say you write a chorus, and it goes for 45 seconds, then sped up it goes for 20 seconds, so everyone gets to hear all your lyrics.

“I’m not so sure it works as well on Spotify, for me personally I’m happy to listen to music at the tempo the artist originally intended.” Baxter said.

One of the tracks on the EP that caught our attention was the song Tired which has an unexpected sonic change in the middle. Baxter explains the creative process behind the song’s structure.

“There’s a bit which is an ode to my mum, and there’s a bit which is an ode to my dad.” Baxter said explaining that the inspiration for the transformation mid-song came from childhood memories of being in the car with their parents and they’d fast-forward the cassette playing to get to another tune.

Baxter grew up in rural Victoria in the town of Shepperton, growing up in the internet age they did not experience the discrimination previous generations might have encountered.

“There’s highlights and downfalls.” they said. “I came out pretty early and there wasn’t anyone else who was out and around my age.”

“I got to have the high school romance, I had a boyfriend when I was fifteen and that was really special. I’m very grateful that I got to have that.

“I was different to everyone, which is sometimes bad because it attracts the wrong attention, but it was also good because I was able to build my confidence, knowing that I was so unique.

Baxter says they think they had an advantage growing up in the country and have an interest in the arts because nobody else was in competition for that attention.

“I wasn’t very good at hiding it, to be honest.” Baxter says of being out and proud as a teenager.

“People used to say to me in high school, ‘Oh Robert, I’m so proud of you, you’re just so yourself and you never let anyone tell you any different.”

“But I don’t think I really had any choice; I’ve always just been myself.” Baxter said.

For Blue the first song from the EP Baxter got to show off their skills as a dancer and bring in all their dancer friends to be part of the shoot too.

While many artists choose a stage name to create their identity, Robert Baxter has always been satisfied with being Robert Baxter.

“Robert Baxter is a super stage name, it has four syllables, it has an X in it. It’s pretty cool if you as me.”

The artist also loves the idea that there name stands out from the crowd on a line up as it is so regular sounding.

“You read Robert Baxter and you think of a really masculine man.
Then I come out in a bikini with long hair and singing some cheeky pop songs.

The cover to the EP shows Baxter as a falling angel, they explain the relevance of being depicted as a celestial being.

“I’m part of the Ballroom scene in Naarm, and in ballroom you get a Ballroom name, so my name is Cupid.

“In my song Supernova, there’s the lyric ‘you wouldn’t expect cupid to cry’ and that’s what the EP is named after. I think it’s because I lead with love all the time.

“It’s all about love, the music I make, the life I lead, the friends I have, I lead with love, it’s all about love and the connection.” Baxter said.

you wouldn’t expect cupid to cry is available now. The EP will be launched at the Club Cupid party in Melbourne on 21st April.