Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Native New Ulm musician Ian Kimmel is back in town and playing a concert Friday night at the State Street Theater with his band “Ian Kimmel & The Heard.”

NEW ULM — Native New Ulm musician Ian Kimmel is back in town and playing a concert Friday night at the State Street Theater with his band “Ian Kimmel & The Heard.”

Kimmel and his band have returned to New Ulm for a chance to play at the State Street Theater (SST). Kimmel is happy to return. In addition to being in his hometown, SST is one of the larger venues his band has played. The band typically plays clubs in Boston, New York and Los Angeles. SST offers a large space to put on a full show.

This is the second time Kimmel has performed at SST. His first performance was for his first album release, and he was asked to come back for the third album release.

The name of his third album is “Scrolling.” Kimmel describes it as a poke at everyone who is constantly going through their phones. The title is also taken from a line that appears on one of the albums four songs.

The track list includes “Don’t Leave Me Lonely,” which Kimmel said is a Prince-inspired tune. “Lightning” is a very acoustic and folk-based song. “Pono” is the album single and is a pop-style song with a darker electronic edge. The last track, “Not Your Life,” features Kimmel’s sister Mindy as well as the debut of 10-year-old Lily Mathiowetz singing the outgoing chorus.

Kimmel said the musicians decided to release a short album with four songs rather than a larger album with a bunch of clutter. The album is quality over quantity.

“My musical tastes are very sporadic,” Kimmel admits. “But the album is very digestible. Together all four songs have a different feel.”

“Pono” has already been released on all platforms as a single. Kimmel said Pono is a Hawaiian word and is a term of endearment.

“One of my friends likes to says it a lot and I liked the sound of it,” Kimmel said. Pono is the most “Pop” sounding song on the album. Kimmel said there is no real theme behind the four songs.

“The first song is one that you can’t help but dance to, and the next is a song that made me cry every time I listened,” he said.

Friday’s concert will be a debut for more than just the album. Kimmel said 70 percent of the songs to be performed have never been performed for a live audience. He is excited to see the response.

Kimmel has spent the last few years studying music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This is his first performance in New Ulm in over a year. Kimmel said it will likely be a few years before he can get the whole band back to New Ulm for a live performance.

In addition to Kimmel on guitar and vocal, the band features Mark Donohue on bass, Jackson Lundy on backup guitar and vocal, and Ben Ehrlich on drums.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday at the SST theater. Jackson Lundy will open the show. Kimmel describes Lundy’s music as a soulful R&B style. Ian Kimmel & The Heard will start playing at 9 a.m.

Pre-sale tickets are available for $10.