By Tessa Solomon
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The Brunswick, Maine, local rental store DVD Explosion was closed for the day, but Aly Spaltro was still there working. She had transformed the store’s basement into a makeshift studio. Her albums, featuring her own artwork, were distributed at local record stores, building her reputation in the area.

Seeking a more vibrant music scene, she moved to Portland, Maine, in 2008 and assumed the stage name Lady Lamb the Beekeeper.

Let Em in Music, a studio based in Gowanus, Brooklyn, was drawn to her fresh blend of folk and indie rock and approached her. With them she recorded her first studio album in 2013, Ripley Pine. Brooklyn’s Ba-Da Bing records released it later that year.

Spaltro is now touring with Tallest Man on Earth, promoting her second studio album, After. The tour will bring them to the Englert Theater, 221 E. Washington St., at 8 p.m. Friday.

“I think there’s going to be crossover of people who appreciate [Tallest Man on Earth] and will appreciate me as well,” Spaltro said.

Her new songs feature upbeat percussion, layered guitars, synths, and injections of pop, all carried by her commanding vocals.

“[The After songs] definitely seem more mature to me,” said Nadim Issa, who produced both albums. “They were written when Aly was older; the songs from the first album that I worked on with her were a few years old by the time I got to them.”

In contrast to Kristian Matsson, Tallest Man On Earth, she will play the Englert without a band.

“This is [Tallest Man On Earth’s] first record cycle playing with a band, and so his fans appreciate the solo performer,” Spaltro said. “In that way, I think I’ll complement him.”

Hailing from Dalarna, Sweden, Matsson broke out as a solo performer with his 2006 self-titled EP. This performance in Iowa City will not be his first.

“We first had him play at Public Space One; there was just about 150 people at that first show,” said Englert Executive Director Andre Perry. “Every time he plays venues here, more people show up — he has a growing following in Iowa City.”

Primarily featuring guitar, banjo, and raw acoustics, his early albums invoke images of campfires and open fields.

Dark Bird is Home uses horns, synths, and percussion. Fuller backing vocals also support Matsson’s signature lush lyrics.

“He definitely brings his own vibe,” Perry said. “He’s a really intense performer who can hold the room.”

MUSIC

Lady Lamb and Tallest Man on Earth

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Englert, 221 E. Washington

Admission: $30