Touring has taken its toll on Holly McNarland.

She sounds tired over the phone, pausing often to yawn and apologize for her sleepiness. It’s only 1 p.m. and she can barely speak.

She loves touring and being on the road, but sometimes wonders why she and the rest of her band put themselves through the torture.

“We’ve traveled in an RV for a month, and last week I got sick,” McNarland explained. “That was a fucking stupid idea. My body was telling me ‘don’t go anymore,’ and I had to take a break.”

Despite the long haul of touring, McNarland doesn’t think she could live without it — its one of her passions.

“I’ve lived more on the road than at home. If I actually were to stay home for two months, I’d probably go crazy,” she mused.

Last year, McNarland played a sold-out show of 30,000 at Edgefest in Canada and was asked to join Lilith Fair, but couldn’t. When she was invited for Lilith Fair this year, her answer changed.

“We’ll be doing Lilith Fair this year in July. It’s a great opportunity for me,” McNarland added. “Everyone at festivals is in a great mood. Probably because they’re outdoors. In the clubs, the workers are all crabby, probably because they’re stuck in a dark room all day. But in the festivals even the security guards are happy.”

Currently, McNarland is touring in support of her latest album, “Stuff.” Distinct not only because of her musical abilities, but for the album’s cover, which features her with late dog Owen.

“I didn’t have anything better to call it. It’s just a lotta stuff,” she said. “He’s cute, isn’t he?”

Apart from her dog and the “stuff” that comprises the album, McNarland doesn’t give herself much credit for it, although it was her who put four months of studio work into it, including one month alone on vocals.

McNarland’s video for the single “Numb” is currently getting heavy rotation on Canada’s video show MuchMusic.

“I think it’s neat to see my video being played,” McNarland said. “I don’t really like MTV because they’ve got all those ‘real life’ shows, but MuchMusic actually plays videos.”

But what influences her to be so dedicated and humble? Some may think it stems from her childhood.

Born in Canada, McNarland is part Ojibwa Indian. She proudly displays a tattoo on her arm that bears her clan, family members and her given Indian name. However, she doesn’t believe her heritage has had a great effect on her.

“My heritage doesn’t really influence me, except for maybe some of the drumming patterns that I like in the music,” McNarland said.

When it comes to singing, “I’ve always done it,” she said. “My mom kind of pushed me in that direction, but I was never in the choir, and I had no singing lessons. It’s been self-driven.”

The same can be said about her writing. She’s not sure where her influences stem from — she just has to be in the mood to do it.

“I don’t know what mood it is. If I did know I would take advantage of it. Normally it’s just me and my guitar,” she said. “My songs show just one part of me. People assume that you write one way and think that you’re like that all the time, but it’s not true.”

Whatever the “mood” is, she’s obviously not in it now. Material for her upcoming album has been hard to come by.

“It’s not coming naturally right now,” McNarland said. “Eventually I’ll get some craving and feel it again. If not, it could all be gone tomorrow, and I’ll have to live at home and start making babies.”

Some major female artists also stand behind McNarland’s determination, including Sinead O’Connor and Ani DeFranco.

Like these women in rock, she has had to deal with the issue of being a women in the music industry but, like many, she hasn’t received any opposition as to whether or not she could make a career out of singing.

“I don’t feel like a woman in rock. I feel like a strong ‘person,'” she said. “It pisses me off when some shithead speaks to me like a child. I just (verbally) abuse them and make them feel like a piece of shit. Then I go on happily with my day.”

McNarland’s RV will be bringing her band — guitarist Les Cooper, drummer Tony Valcheck and bassist Mark Pullyblank — to the Safari Club in Des Moines Sunday night with Bran Van 3000.

Tickets to the show are available through TicketMaster.