New York-based songwriter Dar Williams has delved into more than a few heavy themes over the last two decades—from love and heartbreak to social issues and spiritual ideas—but she’s never tackled the gods of ancient Greece until now. Last year, she began arranging songs based loosely on the stories and parables of Greek mythology that she remembered from her school days. The end result was the melodic and emotive 10-song concept album In the Time of Gods, released in April, 2012 on the Razor & Tie label.

“As much as I love Bible stories, a lot of those are about having faith, obeying certain things, feeling the spirit of God—and there’s a lot of that on my other albums—but Greek mythology is about the journey of the hero,” Williams says, speaking on the eve of her current North American summer tour. “In these times, people find themselves stepping up and finding their voice in ways they didn’t expect. As I travel around, I meet people, and I see a lot of humor, kindness and courage where they’re not just thinking of themselves. I see some of those strong Greek stories, and it all began heating up for me.”

Listening to the lyrics of Williams’ new songs, it seems she’s fascinated by the ongoing balancing act between human-created chaos and civilized order—among the concepts of wisdom, education and justice. She touches on the classic tragedies and battles, things that initially seem discouraging and scary, but there’s a deep sense of encouragement and optimism in most of the music on In the Time of Gods.

“I don’t think it’s pessimistic to say that despite the fact that we’re constantly stepping in our own mess, we’re still finding the words, languages and gestures to keep the wheel moving forward,” Williams says. “I have to be careful, because I get excited like a child gets excited. You have to try to remain poised. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to be chained to the concept. It was like going back to a place where you’d had some luck. Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell and all sorts of modern scholars have gone back and said that these stories are aspects of our psyches through the years.”

Williams assembled a fine team of seasoned musicians and studio cats for the In the Time of Gods sessions. Acclaimed producer Kevin Killen, who has worked with the likes of U2, Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel, oversaw the production. The core band featured drummer Charley Drayton, guitarist Gerry Leonard and vocalist/keyboardist Rob Hyman, a producer and arranger in his own right who’s perhaps best known as a founding member of ’80s pop-rock band The Hooters. (Hyman has been working regularly with Williams since her 2003 album The Beauty of the Rain.) Special guests on In the Time of Gods include vocalist Shawn Colvin and veteran string player Larry Campbell.

“It was terrific working with Kevin Killen and the musicians he handpicked for the album,” Williams says in a press release issued by Razor & Tie. “Kevin really was the alchemist behind the record. Rob and I co-wrote four songs, so a lot of the album is based around our relationship. There is a grown-up fairy-tale feeling to In the Time of Gods. It sparkles with simple and beautiful layers, and it’s muscular in places and very lyrical in others. It was a great service to my storytelling to have these fine musicians giving the arrangements so much strength and sophistication.”

Compared to her team of collaborators in the studio, Williams’ touring band is a stripped-down affair. Brooklyn-based keyboardist Bryn Roberts is a native of Montreal, who regularly plays with various jazz, rock and Americana artists. Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaler co-owns and helps run the Hello Telescope recording studio in Charleston, SC. When he’s not strumming and picking in indie-pop band Slow Runner, he keeps busy as a sideman for Illinois songwriter William Fitzsimmons and various other acts.

“It’s been a very solid trio,” Williams says of her touring group. “They do the best backing vocals I’ve ever had, and they both hold down the low end very well. The only thing we’re missing is drums, but, over the years, duos and trios have resonated with audiences better than solo or full-band shows. So, that’s what I’m doing on this tour.”

Williams admits that presenting a set of pop/folk songs based on characters like Persephone, Hephaestus, Hestia and Athena might seem strange, but the live set works well without coming off as heavy-handed, stiff or academic. She doesn’t yet suffer from Greek mythology fatigue or overkill, but she is surprised by a few fans’ reactions so far.

“Some people think that I’m saying that the gods are Republican or corporations, but I am not,” Williams laughs. “Some think I’m portraying them arbitrarily as outsiders, but I think we are like the gods, and we have a through-line of goals. These are epic battles in everybody’s heart, as well as out in the world.”