INTERVIEW: Maddy Jane’s new horizons on her EP 'Clear as Mud, Pt. 1': “I gave myself the space to explore the witchy, folk, rock-anthem energy that’s always been a part of me”

If it sounds like Maddy Jane’s new country/folk EP has some earthy authenticity about it, that’s because Jane is the real deal. Raised on her parents’ vineyard on Bruny Island, off the east coast of Tasmania, Jane – born Madeleine Woolley – has been writing and recording since she was a teen. She’s a proudly independent artist who is making music her own way but still cutting through to the big time, with support slots for the likes of Harry Styles and Red Hot Chili Peppers on her résumé. A determined, foot-stomping energy infuses Clear as Mud, Pt. 1, as Jane taps into the space and freedoms of her island upbringing and finds a confident rhythmic drive. There’s some classic country music embedded in here – pedal steel, a dose of heartbreak – but Jane embraces a conversational style and her Australian accent, and turns her influences into something that’s all her own. There’s no pretence and no bunged-on American accent, and she definitely has something to say.

Even the title of the EP is a nod to Jane’s Australianness. “Clear as mud is such an Aussie saying,” Jane points out. But it’s also a physical image, and she says the EP is also “a rebirth after trekking through the mud”. And her boots are dirty, just as they should be after wrestling with life. And in her songwriting Jane really has been wrestling – with love, with sadness, with what it means to be a woman. 

Opening track ‘It Can’t Be Heartbreak If It’s Not Love’ eases us in, beginning simply, just voice and guitar and a classic melody that brings to mind songs by country women with soulful voices – a little Bonnie Raitt or Brandi Carlile. “I’ll avoid hurting so I can stay tough,” she sings. “Loving can just fuck you up, and they don’t teach you this stuff.” Love’s a learning experience, and Jane’s depiction of the pain is barely buried beneath the sparse drums and slide guitar. Her voice is beautifully controlled, which keeps the song on course – a portrait of someone desperately trying to avoid the hurt.

But feelings have a habit of shaking loose, and ‘A Woman Is a Woman’, with its building rhythmic stacks, prepares us for the avalanche. “I tried love and hating, but then I loved and lost,” Jane sings, as if she’s watching the feelings tumbling down, looking for somewhere to land. The melody on the chorus – “A woman is a woman is a woman” – leads ever higher, and an extended outro gives a sense of the climb. If it feels like Jane’s echoing voice is calling from a far-off mountain, at least she’s made it to the top.

When she gets there, there’s ‘A Woman is a Woman Part Two’, a spoken-word coda borrowing the musical template from ‘A Woman Is a Woman’, but telling us where exactly she’s arrived at. “Yeah it took me so long, I had to work it all out,” she tells us. “It was the male gaze, living by something that doesn’t matter anyway. That I didn’t even know had such a hold.” The freedom is there in embracing the power – as woman, as a person who has worked out what went wrong. This is someone who knows herself better, and who lets it all sink in, with a swirling instrumental to finish off the track. 

‘June’ sidesteps into the pop lane a little more, though still with Jane’s conversational tone. It’s a song about a messy head and a neat take on “seasonal depression” – “Went on a bender until I was sick / There’s seasonal depression, then there’s just it without the season bit”. The weather’s not the problem, Jane sings, but the periodic inescapability of our own heads. Before it gets too poppy, a guitar solo steps it back onto more familiar country-rock ground, as if to remind us that it’s not a song about wallowing, either. A clamouring head will clear, and feelings will pass like seasons.

‘Thylacine’ picks up the pace. Words collide, and there’s a galloping sense of urgency. The thylacine of the title – the Tasmanian tiger, which many believe is not extinct but still living out there in the Tasmanian wilderness – is a powerful image for Jane. “That feeling – of knowing something is out there for you even if you can’t prove it – became a metaphor for hope, rage, god being a woman, and me,” she said on the release of ‘Thylacine’ as a single earlier this month. “Are you out there hiding in the hills?” she sings, over a wash of distorted keys, backing vocals and a rolling bassline. “Are you lonely too?” 

Final track ‘Dishes in the Sink’ takes us back to the quieter place we started – more pensive, acoustic guitar to the fore again, echoes of loneliness, and the internal mess of a troubled mind reflected in cluttered rooms: “One step at a time / I could start by cleaning up, you’d think.” It’s a slow, swooping song, evoking the overflow of thoughts and dirty dishes that   seems impossible to tackle. Subtle pedal steel threads through the song, with backing vocals and Jane’s voice all enveloped in shimmering reverb – there might be no space in the kitchen, but there’s still a sense of possibility that the clutter might clear.

Clear as Mud, Pt. 1 is strong and thought-provoking from start to finish, with Jane’s agile voice bearing the weight – beautifully restrained, then soaring, then heaping up words so there’s no mistaking her meaning. On the eve of the EP’s release, Jane told Women In Pop how these songs sprang from renewal in her own life, with a new clarity about where she wants to be.

Congratulations on the release of Clear as Mud, Pt. 1 – it is a really incredible music collection. Before we dive into the tracks a bit more, this is your first project since 2022’s Island Time. What was the journey to this EP? 

Thank you! The journey to Clear as Mud, Pt. 1, has been one of profound self-discovery. I had to strip everything back and figure out what was important to me, not just as an artist, but as a person. Over the past couple of years, I’ve rebuilt myself, found my voice again, and reconnected with the meaning behind why I make music in the first place. That process has made me stronger, and I believe that sense of strength and clarity permeates this new project.

There was a time when I genuinely wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make or rerelease music. I parted ways with my entire team and found myself at a standstill, unsure of what was next. But once I let go of the pressure and noise from the industry – the machine I’d felt buried in – the music started to come out more naturally than ever. It was no longer about chasing approval or fitting into a mould. I was burnt out and needed to begin again, on my terms.

During that time, I learned I have ADHD, came to terms with being queer, and found a whole new level of empowerment in embracing every part of myself. I stopped dulling myself down and stopped making decisions out of fear, and from there, things started falling into place. I built a smaller, supportive team and began working closely with Alex Burnett, who believed in me in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

That shift allowed the music to become more focused, more confident, and completely authentic. I stopped holding myself back, and in doing that, I created something that feels exciting and new, even for me. It’s more sure of itself because I am.

You have spoken about how your upbringing in lutruwita/Tasmania was a major inspiration for this EP. Can you tell me a little more about the influence it had on not just the EP, but also your music and artistry as a whole? 

Growing up on Bruny Island – lunawanna-alonnah – has given me an unshakable, almost unexplainable connection to the land. It’s something that lives in me, and I’ve found that the more I lean into who I truly am, the more that connection comes through in my music.

Bruny and lutruwita/Tasmania are wild, raw, beautiful, and completely unapologetic. The weather alone strips you back – it forces you to sit with yourself, to be still and listen. There’s a real groundedness that comes from being raised in that kind of environment, where you’re isolated yet deeply connected to nature, to community, to something bigger. That contrast – soft and harsh, calm and storm, isolation and closeness – has shaped the way I write and create.

With Clear as Mud, Pt. 1, I wanted to nod to all of that. It’s an exploration of the often-overlooked side of Australia – the south, the winter, the wind, the rain, the cold, the mud, the fire. There’s a spirituality to being connected to that land, and a responsibility that comes with it. Tasmania has a deep and complex history – one that’s full of contrasts and truths that deserve to be acknowledged. The EP honours that history, that sacredness, and the idea that the land doesn’t belong to us, even though we’re so deeply tied to it.

I started writing songs as a teenager, sitting alone on the island, trying to make sense of everything I was feeling. That place shaped me, and it’s ingrained in my sound. This project was about finally embracing that fully – sonically, spiritually, and emotionally.

One of the things I really love about this EP is the varied soundscape, which still sounds coherent and completely you. ‘It Can’t Be Heartbreak If It’s Not Love’ has a gentle country sound, ‘A Woman Is a Woman’ – both parts – has a glam-rock feel, while ‘Thylacine’ has a rocky, almost funky sound. Did you have an overarching sonic vision in your mind when you started creating the EP? 

I had a clearer sonic vision going into this EP than I had in the past, but at the same time, I didn’t want to over-control it. I let each song become what it needed to be, allowing the sound to evolve naturally without forcing it into a box. What felt important this time was trusting my instincts and letting go of the pressure to make everything perfect or to please other people.

I knew I wanted to lean more into the Australiana and country elements that have always been there in my songwriting, but I’d held back from really embracing them until now. I also gave myself the space to explore the witchy, folk, rock-anthem energy that’s always been a part of me but hadn’t fully come to the surface in previous work.

Each track on the EP has its own mood and identity, but I think it still feels cohesive because it’s the most instinctive and honest I’ve ever been. I wasn’t overthinking it. I wasn’t trying to chase anything; I was just letting the music speak. A lot of that came from tapping into the feeling of home, what I’ve started calling “Tasmaniana” – that elemental connection to the south, to wild weather, to land and spirit. There’s wind, rain, fire, and mud all wrapped into this sound, and it’s come through in a way that finally feels completely me.

‘A Woman Is a Woman’ is an incredible song, and Part Two of the track on the EP expands it further. Your amazing spoken word references the hold the male gaze exerts on society, as well as your own self-discovery and empowerment as a woman. Can you please tell me a little about the inspiration behind this really important song?

Thank you! ‘A Woman Is a Woman’ is a significant song for me – it’s empowering on a personal level, and I hope it resonates in that way for others too. It was born from everything I’ve been through in rebuilding myself, refusing to give up and stepping into my strength.

The song emerged from realisations about what it means to exist as a woman in a world built on systems designed to repress us. I wanted to push back against that. To be unapologetically myself. To let feminine rage be powerful. Coming to terms with my queerness helped me break down a lot of internalised fears and ideas about womanhood – about other women, and myself.

The spoken-word section in Part Two felt like a spell – an act of clearing out all the noise and reclaiming space. It’s about shedding shame, confronting the male gaze, and reminding ourselves that power doesn’t have to look a certain way. This had to be my witchy rock song – something gritty, honest, and defiant. It’s for anyone who’s had to claw their way back to themselves – whether you’re a woman, queer, trans, a person of colour, or part of any community that’s had to fight just to be heard.

There is a beautiful melancholy in the final track on the EP, ‘Dishes in the Sink’, that looks at the minutiae of life and the sensation of being stuck and feeling unable to push yourself forward: “I could thrive and not just get by.” It is a really beautiful song – what is the story behind this one? 

‘Dishes in the Sink’ is the oldest song on the EP. I wrote it while living alone in my grandparents’ old house on Bruny Island, during the middle of the pandemic. It was such a quiet, reflective time, and the song became a kind of lullaby to myself – a hope that I could one day move out of survival mode and start thriving.

There’s a gentle acceptance in the idea that there will always be more dishes in the sink. Life is messy, and holding yourself to impossible standards or feeling guilty for not being on top of everything doesn’t help. That realisation – of letting go of perfection and embracing the unknown – became comforting for me.

It ultimately shaped the entire EP and inspired the title Clear as Mud. It’s about accepting that things may never be obvious, and you may never have all the answers – and that’s okay. In many ways, that acceptance is a form of growth in itself.

This EP is titled ‘Part 1’, so we can only assume a Part 2 is on the way at some point. If you are able to, can you tell me a little about Part 2 and the thinking behind a two-part release?

I always set out to make an album, but as we started recording, it became clear that so many of the songs felt like strong singles, each with their own world and story. Releasing Part 1 as an EP allowed me to begin telling that story, to start building the world around it, and to give each track the space to shine truly. In a time where albums don’t always get the attention they used to – but still mean so much to artists and listeners – it felt like the best of both worlds. I could share the music sooner, let it breathe, and still bring it all together as a whole album down the track.

I’m excited about the songs that will make up Part 2 and complete the album. It’s all part of the same journey, and I can’t wait for people to hear where it goes next.

You have been releasing music for ten years now and have released a ton of music and done some incredible things: supported Harry Styles and Red Hot Chili Peppers, recorded Triple J’s Like A Version and more. How do you think you have evolved and changed as an artist over the last decade? 

Crazy, right? It’s wild to look back and realise it’s been ten years. The pandemic significantly distorted time – it accelerated some things and brought others to a halt. Looking back on everything – touring non-stop, supporting artists like Harry Styles and Red Hot Chili Peppers, doing Like A Version – I’m honestly so grateful for it all. Every experience, every show, every high and low has contributed to where I am now.

When I first started out, I was just a kid throwing myself into it all. I grew up on the road, in the studio, in the chaos. I’ve grown so much – not just as a musician, but as a person. There was a period of real intensity, followed by a moment where I had to stop and face myself. I went from being young, authentic, and a bit naïve, to getting caught up in the noise, losing sight of why I was doing it, and eventually having to strip it all back and rebuild.

Now, I feel more self-assured than ever. I know who I am, what I want to say, and how I want to say it. I’ve got a stronger sense of direction because I’ve taken the time to work through everything – the noise, the pressure, the expectations. I also have more perspective on the industry itself – what matters and what really doesn’t. At the end of the day, it’s about the art and the connection. If that doesn’t come first, the rest doesn’t work.

So, while I’ve done some amazing things, I feel like I’m only just now creating from a place that’s truly mine. I hope that shows – and, more importantly, I hope it allows for a deeper connection with the people listening.

‘A Woman Is a Woman ’on the EP connects to this question that the music industry has traditionally been a difficult space for women to exist in, thanks in part to it being run by older, straight, white men for so long.  What are your thoughts on gender (in)equality in the music industry, and have you seen a change in this over your time in music?

I do think there’s been slow but meaningful change, and A Woman Is a Woman speaks to that – about not giving up, raising your voice, and stepping into your power. The progress we’ve seen is thanks to people – especially women and gender-diverse artists – who’ve kept pushing, even when it’s been hard. They’ve taken the criticism from those who don’t get it, so the next generation might not have to.

There’s still a long way to go, but I feel like more people are seeing through the old systems. We’re not falling for the same constructs anymore – we’re asking better questions, creating space, and not waiting for permission. And even though there’s been pushback lately, I think that only happens when real change is starting to take hold.

I’ve been lucky to work with more women and gender-diverse people recently than ever before, and there’s a stronger sense of community and understanding. But we can’t get complacent.

That’s why this song is so important to me. It’s a reminder to myself and others: it’s simple – time to truly step into our power and keep going.

Clear as Mud, Pt. 1 is out today. What else do you have planned for 2025?

The rest of 2025 is really about getting out there and sharing these songs live – being in rooms with people who connect to this music and singing it together. That’s the most rewarding part for me. I’m also looking ahead to 2026 with plans for more music, a whole album, and hopefully some overseas touring as well.

I’m excited to keep building a community around this project – one that sees themselves in the stories and feels something from the songs. I’ve got a beautiful support system around me already, but I still feel like my time hasn’t fully come yet. I’m just hoping for growth, deeper connections, and the opportunity to continue doing what I love.

Maddy Jane’s EP Clear as Mud, Pt. 1 is out now. You can download and stream here.
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