If you hear Laura Veirs’ new album, “Carbon Glacier,” it might remind you of the ocean. In fact, you might even imagine sailing off the Northwest coast. That’s because Veirs had water in mind when she was writing the songs.

“There are a lot of nautical metaphors,” Veirs says. “A lot of the songs are about nature.”

Nature isn’t the only place Veirs looks to for inspiration. The Seattle native says she is also inspired by books.

“I read a lot,” Veirs says. “‘Moby Dick’ was an inspiration.”

Veirs, who has been playing music seriously for the last six years, says she does most of her songwriting at home in a studio she has in her backyard. She says the nature-filled atmosphere of the studio, which includes a wood-burning stove, helps the creative process.

“It doesn’t seem like the city in the studio,” Veirs says.

Veirs says that although she enjoys working in the studio, touring has its high points.

“I like both writing and touring, but they’re different,” Veirs says. “If I’m only writing or touring, I get bored.”

Veirs’ stop at the Vaudeville Mews will be her first ever in Iowa, in the middle of a tour that started in Europe and will end on the West Coast.

Veirs says she plays both acoustic and electric guitar, but has been leaning largely toward electric on this tour. This is a welcome change from the past, where her emphasis was on playing the acoustic guitar.

“This is the first tour that I’ve really had a chance to open up and play my electric guitar,” Veirs says. “Usually I’m playing by myself and have to play acoustic.”

Veirs says touring is made a lot easier than normal because she enjoys the company of the people with whom she is touring.

Veirs is touring with her band, the Tortured Souls, which is composed of Steve Moore, keyboard and trombone, and Karl Blau, guitar and vocals.

Though her crowds are typically composed of college-aged people, Veirs says she has seen all ages of people at her shows.

“We had four [senior citizens] in the audience at one of our shows in Cleveland,” Veirs says.

Veirs says being on tour can be stressful and she has to find ways to release energy after being in a tour bus all day. One of the ways she releases while on tour is by jumping rope at every rest stop.

“Some girls came and jumped with us at a Starbucks in Columbus,” Veirs says.

Laura Veirs and the Tortured Souls

Vaudeville Mews, 212 4th St., Des Moines

9 p.m. Monday

$5 advance, $7 day of show