Back with a ‘Bang’

k.d. lang plays Wolf Trap next week. (Photo courtesy of Wolf Trap)

Lesbian singer and songwriter, k.d. lang is back with a new C.D. and an upcoming performance at Wolf Trap (1845 Trap Rd.) in Vienna on Wednesday night with special guest The Belle Brigade.

lang, whose favorite part of touring is the music, will be performing with her new band, Siss Boom Bang, her first new band since her work with The Reclines that launched her career more than 20 years ago.

The performance will include mostly new songs with the set rounded out with a few of her classics.

“We’re trying to play venues that are conducive to dancing and spontaneous outbursts,” lang wrote in a press release for the tour, adding, “I wanted to focus on outdoor venues and folk festivals.”

lang, a self described vocalist, likes to have a good rapport with the audience. This show is a slightly more up-tempo and rock than her past shows.

Her newest album, “Sing it Loud,” was released on April 12 by Nonesuch Records. Many of the songs on the new album were recorded live in the studio

This is the multiple Grammy winner’s first studio album since 2008′s “Watershed.” She marked the 25th anniversary of her recording debut with “Recollection”, a career retrospective.

“I’m trying to keep myself interested and fresh,” lang says about the different sound of “Sing.” “I just keep following my musical interests and where it leads me … I was just feeling it.”

She seemed to instantly connect with Joe Pisapia, who acts as the band’s musical director, when they met back stage at the Grand Ole Opry.

The pair started writing and putting the band together.

“It was magical,” says lang of the process. “It turned out way beyond my expectations.”

The band, which got its name after a friend of lang’s said the record sounds like a typical k.d. lang record, but then “siss, boom, bang, the band kicks in!” The band is comprised of Pisapia, Daniel Clarke, Fred Eltringham, Josh Grange and Lex Price.

On top of the original material, the new album includes a cover of Talking Heads’ “Heaven.”

“I always could imagine that song having a more country feel to it,” says lang of the cover. “I also like the … concept … heaven is a place where nothing happens.”

lang’s music has been featured in many movies and television shows, including her version of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in the Christmas episode of “Glee.”

She also sang “Hallelujah” at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Her performance was nominated for a Juno Award for “Singe of the Year.”

Tickets range from $25 to $45 and are available for purchase online at wolftrap.org, as well as a free download of lang’s “Sugar Buzz” from the new album.

The North American tour will continue through Oct. 24 with a few other shows in the area. She will be performing in Baltimore on July 14 at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and in Newport News on Oct. 1 at the Ferguson Center for the Arts.

An exclusive 14-track extended version of “Sing” is available to purchase on lang’s official website.