In the world of Americana music, few performers are doing as much to stretch the bounds of the genre as Nashville-based artist Lindsay Lou. With last year’s release of her “Queen of Time” album, Lou gracefully blurs the lines between progressive bluegrass, folk, soul, psychedelic rock and alt-country in an absorbing collection of songs that takes the listener on a journey through her grief.

Recorded during a period of great personal turmoil — which included a divorce from her husband and former bandmate, Joshua Rilko, as well as the death of her family’s matriarch — Lou’s “Queen of Time” is an eloquent exploration of the losses the singer-songwriter was facing at that time.

Area fans attending the The Wood Brothers concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Community Arts Center will get to experience many of the tracks on “Queen of Time” live and in person, as Lou is set to be the opening act for the show.

“It has felt really good to be able to share my vulnerability in a way that has been a comfort to others that have gone through similar periods of grief in their lives,” said Lou. “I really love the songs, and the songs have been transformed to me as teachers as I have been playing them. They have given me messages now that I didn’t expect even when I wrote them. It has been really nice.”

Produced by Grammy winner Dave O’Donnell, the album sees Lou perform with the likes of Billy Strings and Jerry Douglas, and share songwriting credit with Strings, Jon Weisberger, PJ George III and Phoebe Hunt. While most songs were written or co-written by Lou herself, the intro track, “Nothing Else Matters,” was penned by Hunt and Maya de Vitry. The album also includes a unique cover of Billy Swan’s “I Can Help.”

Lou said it’s been gratifying to see “Queen of Time” resonating with her fans in the way that it has, adding that, at the end of the day, “That is the ultimate thing for an artist.”

“We create for ourselves, first and foremost, but we release it to the world in hopes that it will connect with other people,” she said. “To see that it has done that is just the height of what I could hope to achieve.”

Since its release, Lou has consistently worked all the songs on “Queen of Time” into her sets during live performances. So, when she accompanies The Wood Brothers during their show at the CAC next month, fans should have a good idea what they can expect to hear.

Lou’s love for The Wood Brothers extends all the way back to 2012, when she saw them perform for the first time. To say she’s excited to be joining them for a few shows on their upcoming tour would be a bit of an understatement.

“I just think that The Wood Brothers are something so special. They really do something to me that fills me with so much joy, and you can’t help but to move when you are at their show,” Lou said. “I could go on and on about how much I love them.

“I just think they are the best. I just can’t wait to spend a little more time with them and be on the road with them,” she added.

Taking in a live music performance is essential to maintaining spiritual health, according to Lou. She said spending time gathered with your community in a musical setting is akin to attending church, even for atheists.

“It’s like, whether or not you have a religious leaning, a live music performance gives you that opportunity to tap into something that feels greater than you, and connects you with everyone around you,” said Lou. “It just wakens up something at your core that is beyond your physical self.

“I call myself a praying atheist because I’m not attached to any religious doctrine, but I am very much attached to the power of music in spiritual and mental health,” she added.

In a Q&A, Lou talked more about moving to Nashville, friendship with Billy Strings, bluegrass music and her biggest influences.

SG: You grew up in Michigan but moved to Nashville years ago. Why did you decide to make that move?

LOU: It was a lot about music everywhere all the time. It was a lot about, you go play music festivals and you go home, and a lot of the people that were at those music festivals playing with you are coming home to Nashville as well. You are sort of surrounded and immersed in a culture where what you are doing isn’t so bizarre. In most places, the lifestyle we live is sort of bizarre. The other thing is the writing culture. Nashville is especially known for its writing culture, so I have gotten into the co-writing process when I moved here, ironically with people from Michigan. But since then I have expanded and have written lots of songs with a lot of different people, and that really transformed my process.

SG: The song “Nothing’s Working” was co-written by you and fellow Michigan native Billy Strings, appearing on “Queen of Time” as well as his “Renewal” album. How did the working relationship and friendship between the two of you develop?

LOU: We both came from Michigan and connected in the early days of our careers. We came down to Nashville around the same time and found places right across the street from each other. We have been close friends and have sort of a familial bond with each other that is really nice, especially as we go through such transformative times in our lives. It is very anchoring and grounding to have people who you have known all along the way.

SG: Recordings of your Grandma Nancy appear multiple times on the album. She clearly had a profound impact on your life. What parts of her philosophies had the biggest impact on you?

LOU: I guess the answer to that question changes over time. I think right now, the thing that came to my mind the most is that at the end of her life she had no regrets. She lived such a radical life, where she stood by her principles that were extreme, but also very noble. She butted heads with people all along the way. But, at the end, she had no regrets. She lived a full life and she believed in the love that she left behind. That’s just really something.

SG: Does your perspective on the songs you wrote change the further away you get from the time that you wrote them?

LOU: In a way, yes, but also I have been saying to audiences recently that it’s like, when you have a favorite song and you listen to it over and over again, it means something to you. You have this very clear image of what the lyrics mean to you and your life in that moment. Then you wear it out and you don’t listen to it for 10 years or so. But then you hear it again, and you love it just as much but the lyrics speak to you in a totally new way, like you had never heard them before. Because you didn’t have the life experience that would give those lyrics the context and the meaning that it does now. It is the same thing with songs that I’ve written.”

SG: What is it about bluegrass music that appeals to you the most?

LOU: The acoustic instruments and the harmony-centric nature of it. I grew up playing and singing with my family just at family reunions and around the bonfires, singing harmonies with my aunts and uncles and cousins. The fact that you can just get together on someone’s front porch and play music, and sing harmonies with people that you may or may not even know, it sort of brings home the fact that we are all sort of one big family and one big band. It is really existentially validating to have a style of music that you can access anytime and anywhere, and it brings you home.

SG: Who were your biggest musical influences growing up?

LOU: Joni (Mitchell) for sure. Bonnie Raitt, hugely. My family were big Linda Ronstadt fans, so Linda, Bonnie and Joni were huge influences in my house. I also listened to a lot of Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday growing up. The Indigo Girls were a huge influence on me. Their songs made it into my family’s canon of songs that we would jam to together. My family was also a huge influence on me.

For more information on Lou and her music, visit lindsayloumusic.com. Tickets to her upcoming performance with The Wood Brothers can be found at caclive.com or at the CAC box office.