Hayley Jensen
Hayley Jensen | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 7, 1983 Albury, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Fourth-place finalist on Australian Idol (season 2), lead singer of Seasons and Silver Cities, ARIA Country Albums chart topper |
Hayley Jensen (born 7 January 1983) is an Australian singer-songwriter who first rose to prominence as the fourth-place finalist on the second season of Australian Idol in 2004. She served as the lead singer for three years with both the alternative rock band Seasons and the dance-rock group Silver Cities. Jensen's 2017 EP, Past Tense and Present Peace, topped the Australian iTunes Country chart. Her 2018 release, Turning Up the Dial, was supported by tours throughout Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. With her third studio album, Breakin' Hearts (2021), she achieved #1 on the ARIA Country Albums chart and #4 on the ARIA Australian Albums chart, cementing her status within the country music scene.
Early life
Born in Albury, New South Wales, Hayley Jensen has spent much of her life based in Canberra. Prior to her appearance on Australian Idol, she studied Jazz vocals at ANU during her final two years of secondary school and later undertook studies in Economics and Management at the University of Canberra.
2004: Early career and Australian Idol
Jensen auditioned for Australian Idol in 2004. Though she did not advance from her initial audition in Canberra, she succeeded at the Sydney auditions, earning a place among the Final 12 contestants and ultimately finishing in fourth place.
| Australian Idol performances and results (2004) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Episode | Song | Outcome |
| Audition | Progressed to Theatre Rounds | |
| Theatre Rounds | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" | Advanced to Top 30 |
| Top 30 | "Angel" | Advanced to Live Shows |
| Live Show 1: Australian Made (Top 12) | "Weir" | Public saved |
| Live Show 2: Pop (Top 11) | "Left Outside Alone" | Public saved |
| Live Show 3: The '60s (Top 10) | "To Sir, With Love" | Public saved |
| Live Show 4: Disco (Top 9) | "If I Can't Have You" | Public saved |
| Live Show 5: Contestants' Choice (Top 8) | "Release" (George song) | Public saved |
| Live Show 6: Beatles (Top 7) | "Yesterday" | Public saved |
| Live Show 7: The '80s (Top 6) | "I Feel the Earth Move" | Public saved |
| Live Show 8: RnB-Soul (Top 5) | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | Public saved |
| Live Show 9: (Top 4) | "It Had to Be You" / "Nature Boy" | Eliminated in fourth place |
2005-2013: Post-Idol career
Following her stint on Australian Idol, Jensen established her own record label, White Dove Music, under which she released a solo album titled Note to Self, along with several singles, while also embarking on national tours. She performed for Coalition Forces stationed in Iraq and appeared multiple times before the Prime Minister.
In March 2010, Jensen co-founded the alternative pop/rock ensemble Seasons alongside drummer Peter Wright and guitarist Sam Young. Their debut EP, A Moment of Clarity, was released in April 2011. The band later rebranded as Silver Cities in late 2012 and launched the single "Lights," co-written by Jensen. They also supported Evermore on their national Hero tour. In November 2013, Jensen and Silver Cities received an award for "Lights" at the Australian Independent Music Awards.
2014-2015: Participation in The Voice Australia
In 2014, Jensen took part in the third season of the Australian edition of The Voice. During her audition on 7 May 2014, she sang "Freefallin", which drew the attention of coaches Will.i.am and Kylie Minogue. Opting to be mentored by Kylie Minogue, Jensen advanced to the Battle Rounds but was eliminated after performing "Roar" by Katy Perry.
| The Voice performances and outcomes (2014) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Song | Original Artist | Result |
| Audition | "Freefallin" | Zoë Badwi | Progressed to Battle Rounds |
| Battle Rounds | "Roar" | Katy Perry | Eliminated |
In 2015, Jensen performed alongside Casey Donovan, Doug Williams, and Darren Mapes in a concert honoring songwriter Burt Bacharach.
2016-present: Resuming country music career
Jensen made her return to country music in 2016 with the release of the single "The One" on 15 January. She was selected as a Toyota Star Maker Finalist at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, appearing at Tamworth Town Hall with nine other finalists. Following this, she released singles such as "I'll Always Love You" in June 2016 and "Young Years" in December 2016. These tracks culminated in the EP Past Tense & Present Peace, which reached the top position on the Australian iTunes Country Chart.
In November 2017, Jensen released "Summertime Soundtrack" through Social Family Records. She earned a nomination as New Artist of the Year at the 2018 Country Music Channel Awards. Her album Turning Up the Dial featured singles including "Saturday Night," "Forever Won't Be Long Enough," and "This Love," each accompanied by music videos.
At the close of 2018, Jensen was awarded Australian Female Artist of The Year at Planet Country's Music for a New Generation Awards. Throughout 2019, she issued additional singles from her album such as "Next Big Thing" and the title track "Turning Up the Dial."
Jensen supported Turning Up the Dial with a tour along Australia's southeast coastline in 2018. The following year, she headlined Manchester's Buckle & Boots Country Music Festival and performed at both Canada's Calgary Stampede and Dauphin's CountryFest.
In early 2020, Jensen released a duet rendition of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" with fellow Australian country musician Beccy Cole. With live performances paused due to COVID-19 restrictions, she collaborated remotely with Canadian producer Troy Kokol at Reluctant Cowboy Records. Her single "Breakin' Hearts," released in August 2020, peaked at number two on Music Network's Country Hot 50 chart. Subsequent releases included "Fireworks," co-written with Billboard Country chart-topping songwriter Phil Barton and Dana Heaton-Perdue, as well as "Just Gonna Party" in March 2021.
July 2021 saw Jensen unveil the soulful track "Karma" and announce her third studio album, Breakin' Hearts, which was officially released on 22 October 2021. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Country Albums chart and secured the fourth spot on the ARIA Australian Albums chart for the week commencing 1 November 2021. Additional singles from this album include Better Than That (December 2021) and Shake My Bones (June 2022).
Albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Note to Self |
|
— |
| Turning Up the Dial |
|
52 |
| Breakin' Hearts |
|
25 |
| Country Soul |
|
Template:Tba |
Extended plays
| EP Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Past Tense & Present Peace |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Position | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Alive" | 2006 | 68 | Note to Self |
| "Stronger" | 2007 | — | |
| "Lights" (collaboration with Silver Cities) |
2012 | — | Lights (Silver Cities album) |
| "What You Waiting For?" (collaboration with Silver Cities) |
2013 | — | |
| "The One" | 2016 | — | Past Tense & Present Peace |
| "I'll Always Love You" | — | ||
| "Young Years" | — | ||
| "Summertime Soundtrack" | 2017 | — | Turning Up the Dial |
| "Saturday Night" | 2018 | — | |
| "Forever Won't Be Long Enough" | — | ||
| "Next Big Thing" | 2019 | — | |
| "Turning Up the Dial" | — | ||
| "Angel" (featuring Beccy Cole) |
2020 | — | Template:Non-album single |
| "Breakin' Hearts" | — | Breakin' Hearts | |
| "Fireworks" | — | ||
| "Just Gonna Party" | 2021 | — | |
| "Karma" | — | ||
| "Better Than That" | — | ||
| "Shake My Bones" | — | ||
| "Flirtin'" (featuring Petric) | 2022 | — | Template:Non-album single |
| "Rock Bottom" | 2023 | — | Country Soul |
| "Stomping Ground" | 2024 | — | |
| "Outskirts" | — | ||
| "Dirt Rich" | 2025 | — | |
| "Giddy Up Cowboy" | — | ||
| "Country Soul" | — |
Country Music Awards of Australia
Since 1973, the Country Music Awards of Australia have been presented annually each January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, honoring outstanding achievements within the Australian country music scene.
! |- | 2018 || Hayley Jensen || New Artist of the Year || || |- | 2022 || || || || |- | 2023 || Hayley Jensen || Female Artist of the Year || || |-
References