THIS week thousands of Canadians are clicking up their heels as they celebrate the return of the Calgary Stampede - the biggest event held in the North American nation since the start of the pandemic.
The self-appointed "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" might be operating at 50 per cent capacity, but the rodeos, the music, the food vendors and the famous floats are back. It's part of Canada's gradual return to normality as 43 per cent of Canadians are fully vaccinated for COVID and 70 per cent have received one dose.
In contrast Australian country-pop artist Hayley Jensen is locked down in Sydney and on Tuesday she was forced to postpone her July 28 show at Lizotte's in Newcastle to October 27.
Two years ago things were much different. Jensen was performing at the Calgary Stampede in a moment she rates alongside Australian Idol and The Voice as career highlights.
I remember just standing there on the stage and had to literally pinch myself, thinking what an amazing opportunity it is.
Hayley Jensen
"It was one of those bucket list moments to play at the Calgary Stampede," Jensen said this week.
"I remember just standing there on the stage and I had to literally pinch myself, thinking what an amazing opportunity it is. The only Australian on the bill and getting to perform in another country. It's those pinnacle moments I don't think I'll ever forget."
The performance at the 2019 Calgary Stampede was part of a four-week tour of Canada, that also included an appearance at the nation's longest-running country music festival, Dauphin's CountryFest, in southern Manitoba and she also performed shows throughout the central province of Saskatchewan with local artist Amy Nelson.
To cap it off, Jensen even appeared on Canadian morning TV.
But most importantly, the Canadian trip introduced Jensen to a host of new musical contacts, such as country-rock bands The Road Hammers and W3APONS and artist and producer Troy Kokol.
These meetings kick-started the process of writing her forthcoming fourth album Breakin' Hearts.
The Road Hammers' Clayton Bellamy sings a duet with Jenson on Breakin' Hearts' song Four Boots and Kokol co-wrote the title track and produced the album. Jensen, having taught herself to use recording software in lockdown, tracked her vocals in a cupboard and sent the files to Kokol in Canada.
"It's been a really fulfilling experience to continue to be able to create music and collaborate with people in that way," Jensen said.
"Even when we haven't been able to get out and do live shows, it's been good to still create music and work on something I'm proud of."
Jensen's 2018 album Turning Up The Dial was recorded in Nashville, and while she enjoyed the experience, the Canberra-bred artist found the Canadian country scene less confronting.
"That was really refreshing for me after being in Nashville a couple of years before," she said.
"It feels like such a dog-eat-dog world [in Nashville] and we know what American culture is like, but going to Canada it felt like the people were so down to earth and more like Aussies.
"I did feel very at home there and very safe. Their country music is similar to what we're doing here, rather than the American music which is maybe leaning more towards a hip-hoppy country scene."
Jensen, 38, first rose to prominence in 2004 when she reached the final four of the second season of Australian Idol, alongside Courtney Murphy, Anthony Callea and eventual winner Casey Donovan.
A decade later she again became a music reality TV star when she was part of Kylie Minogue's team on season three of The Voice.
During that time Jensen has released the albums Note To Self (2007) and Turning Up The Dial (2018), and a host of singles, but the one song she's always been synonymous with is Angel.
Jensen first performed the Sarah McLachlan cover to break into the final 16 on Australian Idol and later performed it with country star Beccy Cole for the Australian forces in Iraq in 2005-06.
Finally Jensen and Cole recorded and released their version of Angel last year and it reached No.1 on the iTunes country chart. It's included on Breakin' Hearts as a bonus track.
The song is deeply personal for Jensen. Angel was a favourite of her father, Rod Thomas, who died aged 60 from cancer in 2016.
"I've performed this song many times, but every time it gets me," Jensen said. "I really feel a connection to the lyrics and it's just a beautiful song and everyone in the audience feels that too.
"After losing my Dad, every time I sing it I think of him."
Jensen said it also reminds her to keep following her dreams.
"He [Dad] was so adamant that I had to keep going and give music my all," she said. "I've had a few big opportunities in life with Idol and The Voice and I remember him saying, 'if you want this, you need to go for it. Don't hold back'.
"Losing him gave me that motivation to, not just hope for the best with my music, but to really pursue it and do my best to write songs that are important and special."
Hayley Jensen's Breakin' Hearts is released on August 6 before she performs at Lizotte's on October 27.
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