Indigo Girls and Jewel are coming to Seattle zoo next week

If you're looking for a taste of guitar-fueled girl power, three of folk's leading ladies will be at the zoo next week.

Duo Indigo Girls (coming in a sold-out show on Sunday) and Jewel (Thursday, tickets still available) are on deck for ZooTunes, both still riding high after long careers, and both returning to their roots with new albums.

In the mid-'90s the Indigo Girls were cranking out a series of hits, and Jewel had just burst onto the scene with "Pieces of You," one of the best-selling debuts of all time. Both acts were playing earnest, lyrical folk music, and they intersected at all-female fest Lilith Fair.

The Indigo Girls have held true to their folk roots, passionate lyrics and complex harmonies. Their latest album, "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug," is no significant musical change (though they do double duty with a disc of all acoustic and one with a band), but rather a return to production autonomy. It's the first album they've produced independently since their 1987 debut (they split from record label Hollywood in 2007).

Jewel has steered her career into dance-pop, back to folk, and, more recently, country. Her new album "Lullaby" (also produced independently — a first for Jewel) is a return to simple acoustics. It's a mix of soothing originals and covers, sung in her ethereal soprano.

So, which silver-tongued siren (or sirens) is for you? Here's how they match up.

The Basics

Jewel

• Name: Jewel Kilcher

• Age: 35

• Grew up: Alaska

Indigo Girls

• Names: Amy Ray and Emily Saliers

• Ages: 45 and 46

• Grew up: Georgia

By the Numbers

Indigo Girls

• Grammys: Six nominations and one win

• Highest charting song: 1995's single "Shame on You" came in at No. 15 (Adult Top 40)

• Number of studio albums: 12

• Albums sold: 7 million worldwide

Jewel

• Grammys: Three nominations

• Highest charting song: 1995's "Foolish Games" and "You Were Meant For Me" both landed at No. 1 (Adult Top 40)

• Number of studio albums: 8

• Albums sold: 27 million worldwide

Overcoming Hardships

Jewel: Raised without plumbing in Alaska, hitchhiked across the country playing music for food and was living in her car when she was first signed to a record label.

Indigo Girls: Both continually fight for gay rights — their own and their peers'.

Weird Celeb Moment

Indigo Girls: Performed in a 1994 production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Ray was Jesus, Saliers was Mary Magdalene.

Jewel: Was almost on "Dancing With the Stars," but had to drop out because of a tibia fracture.

Giving Back

Indigo Girls: Founded a nonprofit called Honor the Earth, which supports indigenous environmental justice.

Jewel: Founded a nonprofit called High Ground for Humanity, which helps provide access to clean water in developing countries.

Live Experience

Indigo Girls: They started as a bar band, and they still like a good hootenanny. Expect a laid-back, personable vibe.

Jewel: Filled with stories, lots of crowd interaction. Expect a friendly chat and some yodeling.

In Their Words

Indigo Girls: "For a band like us, it might feel inauthentic if we tried to branch out in some crazy way musically. As a unit, we do what we do and Mitchell [Froom, producer] just happens to bring the best out of it. That's a good thing at this point in our career" (indigogirls.com).

Jewel: "I've had a stressful life — a lot of anxiety. I moved out when I was 15. I've been on my own a long time. I've always had to find ways to soothe myself without drugs. A lot of these songs have just been my own medication, my own way of getting myself through a lot" (theboot.com).

Joanna Horowitz: jbhorowitz@gmail.com