But that’s how it worked for Townsville-turned-Newcastle pop-country artist Jade Holland.

In July last year Holland was back in the north Queensland city when she was involved in the car crash. Except for the concussion, Holland escaped without injury.

“Everyone was OK and fine, but I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Holland told the Newcastle Herald from Townsville where she was filming a promotion for Magnetic Island.

“I realised then that life is far too short, not to live it. I’d been dreaming of going to Nashville to write and record the album for a long time and having that accident reiterated it for me and I said, ‘you know what, if I don’t do this now I’ll never do it’.”

Holland teamed up with Nashville songwriters and producers Phil Barton and Brad Winters and the end result was her second album Dream Wild, released last Friday.

Unlike her 2015 debut album Leather & Les Paul where Holland only contributed to half the tracks, she co-wrote every song on the album, including hooky lead single Drive Thru.

“You want to be known as a great performer and entertainer and a great artist, but you’ve got to be able to write the music too,” she said.

“I worked my butt off on my songwriting.”

Holland’s songwriting has progressed so rapidly that the closing song, Smoke Signals, was finished in 20 minutes and the title track was penned with Barton over Skype.

The 28-year-old moved to Newcastle early last year due to the Hunter Valley’s strong country music scene and greater variety of venues.

Since the move Holland has become a regular on the local club and pub scene, carving out a full-time career in music. However, there have been some negatives. 

“Besides being away from my family, and I do have some in Sydney, winter is definitely a challenge for a true-blue North Queenslander,” she said.

Jade Holland launches Dream Wild at Lizotte’s on August 16.