Led by founding members Lucinda Shannon and Claire Johnston, inter-band conflict saw Tamara Kempton and Dan Kolencik depart at the end of 2018 after the highs of a Mona Foma main stage slot the previous summer.

Moving forward with new members Amber Perez and Wesley Miles, the band are in the process of touring behind the release of You Can't Go Out Like That, their debut album.

Picking up new instruments - Shannon was a classically trained cellist and Johnston a saxophonist - Slag Queens has allowed the members freedom to explore new ground.

"Being classically trained is amazing, but also for me, it left me with a very deep feeling of inadequacy and fear around playing an instrument," said vocalist Lucy Shannon.

"I've talked to a few women recently about classical training and it's a common experience."

Starting out as a weekly jam session between fellow musicians, the band quickly began playing shows both in Tasmania and interstate.

Their original tunes fall somewhere in the post-punk, new-wave territory occupied by bands as diverse as Talking Heads, The B52's and The Slits.

"Often the way songs are written is we will be jamming on a riff, or maybe someone's brought someone along and as a group, we will workshop that and flesh it out," said drummer Claire Johnston.

"Then there might be lyrics that come from Lucy or someone might offer up some, and Lucy then goes back and synthesises them and puts her own niche lyrical bent on them."

Songs about smashing patriarchy, life in a post-capitalist society and feminism may not be easy to sing about, but for Shannon, Johnston and their bandmates, it makes for gripping music.

"This has been an important project to express the conversations Lucy and I, and the rest of the band, have around politics," said Johnston.

"With the music communities we've connected with, be it here in Hobart or on the mainland, there are some broadly shared values that are pretty left-leaning politically.

"Maybe that was different in Launceston where we felt a little bit isolated."

With feelings of isolation aside, the band are looking forward to returning to Launceston for their album launch.

"It's the first time in a long time that playing live with the band has felt really fun and exciting," said Johnston.

"There is a quality about out live performances, and as much as we try, we just can't seem to capture it in our live recordings."