For almost two decades, the Cowboy Junkies have quietly released albums containing both stark and emotionally naked songs, as well as raucous rock songs on par with Neil Young’s work with Crazy Horse.

Margo Timmins, vocalist for the Cowboy Junkies, says that honesty is ultimately what makes music substantial.

“For me to actually get up and go to the store to buy a record, it has to have that kind of honesty and something that touches my heart and makes me think — and sometimes makes me cry,” Timmins says.

The band’s musical influences include such legendary singer-songwriters as Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Lou Reed. Timmins says it’s these artists’ commitment to honest expression that earns her admiration.

“I think they’ve all written from their heart,” she says. “They’ve been influenced by what’s going on in their lives at the time, and they haven’t been afraid of it.”

Timmins says the current state of popular music is frightening.

“It all sounds the same, it’s all mixed the same, it’s all produced the same,” she says.

“I’d like to challenge any of the singers to sing without singing through a microphone — I don’t know if they can really sing or play.”

Such exhortations to sonic purity probably won’t come as a surprise to those who remember that the Cowboy Junkies’ 1988 release “The Trinity Session” was recorded in a church with one microphone.

“I found the albums that I’ve liked best have been the ones I’ve put on and then as I listened to them more, I started to fall madly in love with the records,” Timmins says.

“That means there is something more to the album than the surface and first hearing. There’s depth to it and it will last longer than a couple of hours.”

Lavish production and a youthful image have never been hallmarks of a Cowboy Junkies concert or album. As an aging band, the Cowboy Junkies’ 17-year ride shows no signs of slowing down, the 41-year-old Timmins says.

That’s not to say, however, that the front woman hasn’t been wrestling with the problem of mortality.

“I look around and more of my friends are getting cancer and things like that,” Timmins says. “And friends of mine’s parents are all dying, so you’re going to parents’ funerals. So it’s more there — right in front of you.”

The Cowboy Junkies’ latest studio album, “Open,” released in 2001, dealt with some of the weightier themes of existence — namely, love, death and faith. When it comes to her personal spirituality, Timmins describes herself as searching.

“For lack of a better word, I would hopefully classify myself as being an open person spiritually — open to new ideas and new people,” she says. “And when it comes to faith and that sort of stuff, I’m questioning all the time.”

Timmins, who grew up in Montreal with six siblings, two of whom are in the band, had a religious upbringing that was distinctly Catholic.

“I went to a convent school for a million years and my uncle is a priest,” she says. “[Montreal] is very French-Canadian Catholic — so it was a huge influence in our lives.”

Timmins says that she doesn’t believe in structured religion.

“For me, it’s just run by men — men and women — for their own purposes … I just feel that something is going on here where someone is benefiting and they shouldn’t,” she says.

“For me, I don’t need to go into a church to pray or have a priest talk to me. I’d rather talk to a good friend than talk to a priest — or a brother or sister.”

Whether it be watching her dogs run on her farm just outside of Toronto or enjoying good television, Timmins says she finds meaning in the small things.

“‘Buffy [the Vampire Slayer]’ is my number-one show, but I like all the ‘Law & Order’ stuff, and right now I love the new ‘CSI,’ ” Timmins says. “I tried the ‘CSI: Miami,’ but it’s not doing it for me. It might just need a little bit more time because it’s new.”

Though Timmins says it’s sometimes hard to leave her husband, dogs and home when she is touring, she tries to put things in perspective.

“I have a husband who gets up every day and goes to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and I think that’s way harder than what I’m doing,” she says.