Amongst the foliage and old-fashioned features dotted around City Park in Launceston on Sunday, Jane is relaxed and contemplative. It is not unsurprising but the depth of her answers showcase a songwriter who believes in music as more than just a job, perhaps, a vehicle to promote change.

Madeline Jane Woolley, from Bruny Island, and now based in Wollongong, has returned to Tasmania for a headline tour of her album, which came out last year.

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Jane said she felt ecstatic to be back in front of a live audience after the coronavirus pandemic halted her initial plans to tour the album last year.

"It's pretty surreal, it's almost like my soul is back, it's very faith in humanity restored type of thing, it's kind of crazy that we released the album and I haven't played it live to people, it was actually really crazy to people to see people singing along," Jane said.

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"I kind of forget what it was like to feel that energy ... it shows you what you've missed and Tasmanians, we just go off, we just know how to put on a party."

After a year which challenged everyone, including putting a tour on hold for Jane, International Women's Day has asked everyone to choose to challenge on March 8 and beyond.

For Jane, she has found that voice and confidence in the solace of her music, creating honest and pointed anthem tunes which ponder on the broader concepts including equality and her place within that.

Femme is Jane's favourite track to play live across her Tasmanian tour and is arguably the best example of Jane's songwriting ability. Channeling the idea of the battle for equality into a defiant and roaring rock hit, being simple for those who want it and offering something deeper when you scratch the surface.

"It probably changes a bit night to night but live I reckon it's Femme," Jane said.

"It was kinda like I wrote that song as the next step, it was like we have done something in the fight for equality and it was acknowledging that and just showing where we're, we've done this, we've obviously grown and there's still so much more to do."

"I think that was why I wrote it, it was putting that into a simple form."

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Music provides the avenue for Jane to challenge the issues which frustrate her, allowing her to be an extrovert in an industry that demands it when Jane admits she can fluctuate between the line of confidence and self-conscious.

"The music is like a persona, it allows me to be that extreme confident and you have to be so it's that extreme, I am either super confident and saying it how it is or super self-conscious and worrying about everything."

"I guess that is some of my songs too, like they're just big over-think moments as well."

While never far from her roots on the Apple Isle, Jane's transformation from plucky singer from Bruny Island to a national act capable of headline tours provided a larger public profile.

With the growing profile and social media presence, Jane said that she felt compelled to use it in a way to create a positive movement.

" I definitely feel responsibility and a real want to do that, I guess that generally fits with me that's what my songwriting, that's what it's for me as well, to challenge those ideas and relate to other people and say something ... I guess that'd my role."

"The music industry, it's crazy, there's lots of things that women still can't do in the music industry without having consequences or looking like this so I am constantly trying to challenge that."

"It's good though because I've been somewhat given that and the least I can do is use it for opinions."

This year will be a mix of enjoying the tour of the album and a celebration of a return to the live stage as well as a dash of new discography in the works.

Jane said that 2021 is shaping up as a busy one between touring when she can, and restrictions allow, as well as heading back to the studio to create more music.

"It's a weird one, it's kind of honouring that album still but I am at a stage where it's like that's my first album out but where do I go from here I guess," Jane said.

"A lot of writing and recording will be happening this year, and tour as much as we can around all of that but it's time for me to work out what the next step is and how to do that and continue the growth."

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