The Jensen Sisters perform at the Midwest CMA’s Award Show

Members of the Midwest CMA’s since October of 2018, Kendra and Kansas Jensen were a part of the two-day event that they both described as magical!

The Midwest Country Music Association is a newly formed organization that is about a year strong. With over 100 members already, the group is made up of musicians from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Part of the excitement around the association is all the incredible events they have to support local artists and connect members of the music community. Among those members are Kendra and Kansas Jensen, from Goodridge, MN, who have also been named Northern Ambassadors for the non-profit organization.

That title earned them entrance behind the scenes and gave them the opportunity to be a part of the planning for the first ever Midwest CMA Awards Show. The two-day event honored award winners, provided education, networking and inspirational opportunities.

Day 1 began on Saturday, February 16th. Members gathered with industry professionals to network, learn and discuss the music industry as a whole. Panel experts covered a variety of topics such as Performing Rights and Social Media, Marketing & Branding. The Jensen Sisters tapped into their resources and asked Mike Sistad, who grew up in  Gatzke and is a former member of Back Behind the Barn Boys, to attend as a rep from ASCAP and lead a performing rights panel informing artists how to protect their music. Sistad currently resides in Nashville and works for ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers).

“Day 2 of the event was a grand moment,” the sisters agreed! The celebration featured live performances and was open to the public, Midwest CMA Member artists, business sponsors and VIP guests. The awards show kicked off with a Red Carpet complete with sponsors, photographers and interviews. “We didn’t know what to expect, but it all went smooth,” Kendra said. Around 30 artists performed to make up 13 segments that evening. The Jensen Sisters were one of those acts and collaborated with other female artists to perform a “Women in Country Music through the Decades” segment. Each musician was required to perform an original song; The Goodridge duo debuted “Son of an Outlaw,” which will be released on their EP later this spring.

“We love old outlaw country music,” the two offered. “Those are the people who inspire our music. When we think of the good old boys…they are old. A lot of them have sons who are doing music the same as their dads. There was an outlaw scene then, but it’s being reinterpreted now, which is cool,” they added. “With this song, we put a twist on it all and talk about their sons who are doing music that is just as good as their dads,” Kendra explained. The story line of the song also involves a girl falling in love with a son of an outlaw.

Knowing they would be performing for a large crowd at the Medina Entertainment Center, The Jensen Sisters headed down to the metro area a couple of times prior to the big event for rehearsals. They also took the stage the morning of the event to do a run through with the other artists and get a feel for the stage. With no music officially released as of right now, the sisters weren’t eligible to be nominated for any awards, but are hopeful that maybe next year will be different. As mentioned, they have their EP coming out later this spring, titled, “Highway Hippie.” The album will feature six original songs, including Son of an Outlaw. The Jensen Sisters are shooting the album cover next week and remarked, “It’s all coming together.” 

If you’re a Midwest musician and you’re looking to be a part of something great and get involved, reach out to The Jensen Sisters; they have gotten their feet wet and are a wealth of knowledge already. There’s no stopping these two driven young ladies and once that EP is released this spring, they’re sure to give us even more.