This weekend will be the first time the Sydney four-piece will appear publicly on stage since January, as one of the headline acts at Wollongong’s Yours and Owls festival.

On the release of their latest album, Synthia, keyboardist Heather Shannon learned she needed more cancer treatment – the group deciding they couldn’t go on without her.

Their international tour was cancelled.

“I think she even said ‘I could just tour while getting chemo’ and we were like ‘no’.

“She’s one of those people who is a goer, and wants to keep going,” singer Hayley Mary said, adding the band are excited Shannon has now been given the all clear.

“As horrible as it’s been, I think it forces you to look at the silver lining on everything and appreciate what you’ve had before,” she said.

“Everything is more exciting and everything is more beautiful as we had it nearly snatched away from us.”

The last six months have been incredibly “tough” for the group, who formed in 2007, wrought with worry over whether their friend would pull through OK.

The cancer first reared it’s head three years ago when recording, The Brink, though they kept it to themselves.

“I don’t think we really processed it, or even Heather properly processed it,” Mary said.

“There was always this strange elephant in the room when talking to people about it, you’d try to put on a happy face ... when you [knew] there’s this one thing that we’re not telling everyone and it’s affecting everything that you’re doing.”

She said there was a sense of relief when they went public, especially with the overwhelming support of fans who reached out through social media.

Mary thinks the last time they played in Wollongong was around four years ago and can’t wait to come back.

“Life is fleeting and I wouldn’t have known however long ago that, that may have been the last time [in Wollongong],” she said.

“I love festivals because there’s a little bit less pressure, people aren’t just there to see you and they might not even know you so you can get some new fans.”

The Jezabels play Yours and Owls Saturday October 1 at Stuart Park.

Other headline acts include The Living End, Ball Park Music, Hermitude, Black Mountain and Hockey Dad.