Medium Build

Medium Build is the musical project of singer/songwriter Nick Carpenter. With a sonic palette inspired by living from one end of America to the other and an honest, open lyrical pen to match, Medium Build has steadily built a fan base through consistent opening slots for acts like FINNEAS and Lewis Capaldi, and releasing well-streamed songs like “comeonback,” “Say Hi,” “In My Room,” and the X Ambassadors collaboration “Friend for Life.” In 2024 Carpenter released Country, his major-label debut, as well as the EP Marietta. Carpenter was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and took early musical inspiration attending church with his mother. After spending college in Nashville, he sought work as a professional songwriter while performing with his band Little Moses. Medium Build was born after a visit to his brother in Anchorage, Alaska, became a full-time residency; he dove headfirst into its local artistic scene and natural environment. The early, self-released material by Medium Build possessed more of a lo-fi full-band sound to go with its introspective, honest lyrics about heartaches and mental health. His debut, Falling Apart (2016), was followed by the 2018 albums Softboy and Roughboy, and Wild in 2019, all collaborations with fellow songwriter James Glaves. Carpenter and Glaves would go their separate ways after the release of Wild, and Medium Build wouldn’t re-emerge until 2022 with the single “comeonback.” Carpenter’s emotive vocal delivery recalled that of Scottish songwriter Lewis Capaldi, who would later tap Medium Build as an opening act. Within the year, Medium Build signed to Island Records, releasing buzzy singles like “Rage,” “Say Hi” and “In My Room” and the EP Health (2023); “comeonback” caught the attention of X Ambassadors singer Sam Harris, who recruited Carpenter for the 2023 single “Friend for Life,” a Top 20 hit on Billboard’s alternative digital chart. After scoring his biggest opening slots yet for FINNEAS and a performance at South by Southwest in 2023, Medium Build released the acoustic, introspective Country in 2024, supporting it by opening for Tyler Childers on his summer tour. He followed the release up later that year with an EP, Marietta, that featured a duet with Julien Baker on “Yoke.” ~ Mike Duquette