Members of the roots rock foursome The Jayhawks know a lie when they hear one.

Example: The Jayhawks broke up — clearly a lie.

Now the band is out to prove its knowledge of lies and its existence in support of the 1997 release, aptly titled “Sound of Lies.”

Rumors of the demise of The Jayhawks first emerged two years ago when founding member Mark Olson decided to leave the band.

Since then, The Jayhawks have quietly remolded a solid lineup and recorded the band’s fourth CD in a basement studio in Minneapolis, Minn.

Following in Jayhawk tradition, “Sound Of Lies” is a departure from the band’s previous album, 1995’s “Tomorrow The Green Grass.”

“We’ve shifted away from our previous sound, sure, but we’re not going to turn our backs on it,” bassist Marc Perlman said in a press release. “We just want to be more groove-oriented and less about songs that are structured in a classic way.”

Without Olson (who reportedly wanted to spend more time with his wife, singer Victoria Williams), longtime Jayhawks Perlman, singer Gary Louris, drummer Tim O’Reagan and keyboardist Karen Grotberg have had the chance to contribute more to the sound of the band.

The Jayhawks also recruited guitarist Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run), violin player Jessy Green (Geraldine Fibers) and singer Matthew Sweet to contribute to “Sound of Lies.”

“The Jayhawks are trying to make records that stand the test of time,” Louris said in a press release. “And unlike other Jayhawk albums, the new album has a great wall of guitars sound, with very few guitar leads.”

Perlman said “Sound of Lies” also varies vocally from past Jayhawk records.

“Instead of the dual harmonies that The Jayhawks were known for, it’s now more of a pop or rock approach,” he said. “Gary’s got a great pop voice and it really goes perfectly with what we’re doing now.”

The Jayhawks will share 12 years of experience tonight at 8:30 at People’s Bar and Grill. Tickets for the 21-and-over show are $12 in advance and are available at the bar and all TicketMaster outlets.