Hayley Jensen—
Acclaimed country-pop star, Hayley Jensen, is ready to set the airwaves ablaze with Outskirts, an upbeat, heartfelt, feel-good track that reflects on lasting memories made growing up in the country, capturing the essence of carefree Friday nights cruising down red dirt roads with good mates and cherishing the tight-knit community in a small town.
Outskirts, co-written with Canadian songwriter Joni Delaurier, is a celebration of Hayley’s rural roots. “Outskirts is about my life growing up on the outskirts of town,” she explains. “My family and I lived on a 30-acre property about 40km from Canberra. Life was different for us compared to kids that grew up in the city ... but I loved it and it made me who I am today, so I thought it was about time I wrote a song about it!
“I was a mad horsey girl and rode every day. We had chooks, goats, horses (of course), and countless rescue animals. Weekends were spent fixing fences, chopping and stacking wood, riding in the forest, learning to drive in the paddocks and down old dirt roads, keeping the grass down so snakes didn’t come into the house. I caught the country kids’ bus to school and if you missed it, you were in big trouble!”
She adds, “And there’s nothing like a party in the country! You can turn the music up as loud as you want, sing along at the top of your lungs, and no one can hear you. Some of my best memories are of inviting mates to camp over, lighting huge bonfires and partying into the night—no one complains. It’s the best! It’s hard work and good times making memories with the people you love. That's life growing up in the country, on the ‘Outskirts’ of town, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!”
Hayley’s illustrious career includes being a two-time CMAA Golden Guitar finalist for Female Artist of the Year in 2022 and 2023, and receiving the ICMA Most Popular Female Artist Award in 2024. She first gained national recognition as a Top 4 finalist on the second season of Australian Idol and later wowed audiences on The Voice, where she was praised by coach Kylie Minogue as “the whole package.”