Australian drag performer LayDee KinMee has released You’re Not a Lover, a pop/country-pop single completing a breakup song Jace Pearson began writing more than 20 years ago.
The track connects Pearson’s early pain to a recent relationship, shifting its attention to recognising when it is time to walk away.
Written with Michael Carpenter and Bec Caruana, the song developed from unfinished lyrics and a composition Pearson brought into their session. Together, they reworked the material, softened some of its darker edges and brought the story into the present. Another breakup gave those words fresh relevance before recording.
Pearson says:
At the time of recording, I had gone through another breakup. I was so in love, but it wasn’t reciprocated to the same extent.
Known as “The Yodelling Drag Queen”, LayDee KinMee earned a standing ovation from all three judges on Australia’s Got Talent. Pearson first taught himself to yodel while performing at a theme park in Taiwan, practising between daily shows before improving the technique with a vocal coach in Australia.
That country connection extends outside the stage. His first vinyl album was Dolly Parton’s Greatest Hits, while his first vinyl single was Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time. He later opened for Beccy Cole’s coming out tour, years after meeting the Australian country artist in a coffee shop following a Parton concert.
You’re Not a Lover follows Here I Am and Home Run Yodel, adding a personal chapter to a recording career that draws on pop, country and cabaret.
For Pearson, finishing the song offered a means to process both experiences. He says:
Whenever I experience an emotion, I search for a song to nurture me through that experience. Many of us will experience a breakup, and perhaps this is the song to guide you through that process.
