Question: An Entertainment Weekly music critic once described your delivery as "somewhere between Tina Turner's pop soul and Bonnie Raitt's tender R&B for 40-somethings." Would you call that accurate?

Answer: Oh, I like that! That's probably apropos.

Q: What can people expect at your show?

A: I write music, so most of it is original music and I have a great band. I do talk, but I don't tell jokes. Sometimes people get confused, they think, "Well, she's funny on television." But I share a little bit about myself.

Q: What themes do you explore in your songs?

A: I'm always fascinated with the concept of growing up, becoming an adult. It's still a startling thing to me, how life is never quite like what I thought it was going to be when I was a kid. I write about my family. It's not your typical love songs, it's more experiential.

Q: You've done two albums and sang on your former sitcom, "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." Despite that, are people still surprised when they discover this other talent?

A: People are surprised when I do anything other than be Peg Bundy -- which is fine. I loved Peg Bundy. But it's amazing how doing one thing on television for 11 years just carries you. I think sometimes people are shocked that I don't have big red hair. Sometimes I've been a little frustrated by people's lack of vision because they keep you there, but I lean toward it being a blessing. It gave me so many great opportunities. But when they see me in concert, I get surprised looks on people's faces.

Q: Of your performance as a biker mama on "Sons of Anarchy," the Hollywood Reporter wrote that it's now "impossible to imagine she ever played Peg Bundy." Is that a good sign for getting Peg to recede in the public's mind?

A: Yes, it's completely different. My husband (Kurt Sutter, co-executive producer of "The Shield") wrote it for me, and (the character) is a fiercely loyal mother to her children and her (motorcycle) club, and I'm kind of that way in life. Also, I have this recurring role on "Eli Stone," which is really fun, so perceptions are loosening up.

Q: In the early '70s, you were a backup singer for Bob Dylan. What did you take away from that experience?

A: It was a very limited time I worked with him, only a couple of months. I learned that it's important to speak up for yourself, because at the time I was so starstruck, I was only 18 years old, I could barely say anything to him. In retrospect, I think, "I should have talked, made my opinions clear."

Q: What did Bette Midler teach you?

A: How to work hard. I never worked so hard in my life. And I haven't worked so hard since. She has an amazing work ethic. I went over all over the world with her, and I cannot tell you how many hotel lobbies I rehearsed in, because she would decide at the last minute that we would have to rehearse a number, that's just how she worked. Even though it's the same show every night, she was constantly perfecting it. Bette was such a consummate performer and my show is really not like a Bette show, not as theatrical as all that.

Q: Did any one singer specifically influence your style?

A: When I worked with Etta James -- musically, that's where my emphasis is. Etta was someone I was in awe of, musically.

Q: With roles in two TV series and giving more than 20 touring performances a year, is it tough to fit it all into your schedule?

A: It's hard times right now, and the fact that I'm working doesn't go lightly by me. I'm grateful.