Lynn stops by South on Main

Lera Lynn, a rising singer-songwriter-guitarist who has variously been described as country, pop, folk and jazz, is also enjoying an acting career as well, with her songs and also herself on HBO's crime drama series True Detective. She will launch the Americana Series of The Oxford American's 2015-16 Concert Series with a show at 8 p.m. today.

Lynn has a mysterious vibe about her and a voice that has earned her comparisons with Gillian Welch, Joni Mitchell, Patsy Cline, Fiona Apple and Paula Cole.

Her rendition (on YouTube) of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" suggests what a version of the song by Chris Isaak might sound like -- if Isaak were female, of course.

She plays a sad bar singer on True Detective, which has reminded some TV fans of David Lynch's Twin Peaks.

Being an actress playing a singer and being a singer are equally enticing to her.

"I like it all," she says. "It's all a challenge and it's very difficult and hard, exhausting and exhilarating."

Born in Texas, her parents moved with her to Shreveport when she was 6 months old, then when she was 5 or 6, Atlanta was the next stop. From there, she discovered the music scene in Athens, home to the University of Georgia and the famous point of origin of R.E.M. and other bands.

"I did a little bit of everything there," she says, "including being in bands, a solo act and playing in a lineup with viola and cello."

Her unusual vocals and performance style came to the attention of noted musician and producer T-Bone Burnett, who asked her if she would like to write some songs for the HBO show and she eagerly signed on, going to Los Angeles to do so.

"I was pretty nervous, of course, but T-Bone was very easygoing and knew my music," she says. "He played my songs for the director and he liked them so we kept going, and then T-Bone asked me if I'd like to play the singer in the bar. I have played in bars like that, so it wasn't that much of a stretch for me.

"So they put a bunch of makeup on me and made me look like a junkie. Maybe they thought it would be easier than having to teach an actress my songs? There was even a parody of my character on the Emmy Awards Sunday night!"

She has released a couple of albums -- Have You Met Lera Lynn? in 2011 and The Avenues in 2014 -- and several EPs and is "almost done" with a new album.

On tour, she will bring a drummer, bassist and guitarist, and she will be playing guitar, as well, acoustic and electric. Shows will include originals and cover versions of others' material. In the past, for instance, she has recorded Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," TV on the Radio's "Wolf Like Me" and Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea."

"I like to do covers where I can put my own spin on it," she says. "Something that gives me room to do my own thing."

She's looking forward to returning to the South on Main club, although it will be her first time to perform: "We stopped by there recently and checked it out on our way through town, and I'm excited about the chance to play there."

Weekend on 09/24/2015