Lisa Loeb: singer, again

A singer-songwriter, as well as occasional actress, the former co-host of her own show (with Dweezil Zappa) on the Food Network, and the author of an album of children’s songs, Lisa Loeb doesn’t think it’s at all unusual that she continues to add diverse projects to her schedule. “I think most creative people have many outlets,” she says. “The people I hang out with are like that.”

However many hyphens she adds to her title though, Loeb says, “My primary thing is being a musician, of course.” Loeb’s music is back at the forefront with an upcoming tour, including opening for Heart on Sunday at the Greek Theatre, and a new album, “The Way It Is,” due Aug. 10.

A smart collection of tunes that shows off her increasingly fine craftsmanship, the album alternates between jangly pop tunes and sparse ballads. Loeb, who first caught the public’s ear 10 years ago with her single “Stay” off the “Reality Bites” soundtrack, wanted to make an album that captured not only the immediacy of her live performances but also the diversity of those sets. “The initial concept was to make a record that was half very produced and half bare and as acoustic as possible,” she says.

Though the songs alternate styles, Loeb says, there is a thematic tie throughout the album. “It’s about the way people look at life. Whether you look at it as something good or bad, that’s the way it is.”

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Heart, Lisa Loeb, Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $30-$55. (323) 665-1927.