Duncan Sheik is a self-described solitary man, yet one who has collaborated with a variety of artists while exploring multiple music genres, from pop/rock to musical theater.

Born in New Jersey and raised in South Carolina, Sheik, a Brown University graduate and practicing Buddhist, performs later this month in Milwaukee, a city that evokes two thoughts for the 30-something: Jeffrey Dahmer and nice people. (OK, one out of two isn't bad.)

In 1996, Sheik's single "Barely Breathing" was outrageously popular, and became the fourth longest-running single in Billboard history. During this time he toured with Jewel and Shawn Colvin, as well as by himself.

Since then, Sheik has explored other paths. He created and co-produced 1998's less-poppy "Humming," and later, collaborated with New York playwright Stephen Sater on "Phantom Moon," a primarily acoustic record inspired by Nick Drake's "Pink Moon." At the same time, Sheik composed the music for "Spring Awakening," another collaboration with Sater that's based on German playwright Frank Wedekind's 1891 classic.

Most recently, Sheik released his new album, "Daylight," a mix of Sheik's prior endeavors, from the pop-oriented "Half-Life" to the reflective "Such Reveries." Some of the songs sound a little Matthew Sweet-ish, with a trace of the contemplative Drake, but mostly they showcase Sheik's signature soft voice and strong guitar playing.

OMC: Can you give us a few highlights from the timeline of your music career?

DS: Let's see... I started playing guitar at age five -- my grandparents gave me a guitar for Christmas. I've always been into messing around with instruments. Making music is a solitary pursuit. It's always been just me in my room, making instrumental pieces of music.

At 12, I went away to boarding school in South Carolina, and I joined a school rock band, and in college, around 1990, I played guitar in a band with Lisa Loeb (Liz and Lisa), but this was more of a tangent. It really wasn't my focus.

OMC: How did you evolve from being a guitar player in a band and a guy making music in his room to a successful solo artist?

DS: I put together a demo tape in college, and the night after graduation (in 1992), I drove across the country to L.A., and that's basically how I got signed (to Atlantic Records).

OMC: What did you study at Brown?

DS: Semiotics, which is the study of modern culture and the media.

OMC: Do you still have a musical relationship with Lisa Loeb today?

DS: Yes. We've played a few songs together at various functions. (In March of last year the two performed at the Musical Bridges Foundation, aimed at promoting cultural awareness and creating human bonds between nations.)

OMC: You are a big fan of The Smiths, as well as other "doom and gloom" techno bands from the '80s. How did these bands affect your music and/or your ability to see the beauty in darker issues and feelings?

DS: The Smiths occupied an eccentric place in terms my history of listening to music. There are certain things about that band that appealed to me musically. My interest had more to do with Johnny Marr as a guitar player than with Morrissey. His thing is just too campy. I have always liked somber music that's more sincere and has less irony, like Talk Talk, Tears For Fears and Depeche Mode.

Darkness is a very important aspect of music and needs to be represented. You can't deny the yearning, the tragedy, the sadness that are so naturally a part of life. And there's also within those things, I think, a beauty.

OMC: You are currently working on a musical, "Spring Awakening." How's that going?

DS: It's been a long process, but we're finally seeing the light of day. The play will open in 2003 in New Haven, Connecticut, and come to New York in 2004. This is after five years of workshopping, so it's hard to believe people are finally going to get to see it.