Medium Build Debuts IN MY GUT, Sets KING OF HAVING FUN LP for Sept 4
Nick Carpenter wrote the track with Annika Bennett, exploring how families handle conflict.
Medium Build, the recording name of singer-songwriter Nick Carpenter, has released a new single, IN MY GUT, premiering the track with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. The song is drawn from Carpenter's forthcoming album, KING OF HAVING FUN, scheduled for release on September 4 via slowplay/Island Records.
'I wrote this song with one of my favorite artists, Annika Bennett. We were exchanging stories about our childhoods and the way our parents handled conflict. Harping on the way our fathers performed toughness or avoided hard conversations.'
Nick continues, 'We explored how we inherited these traits and the new ways we meet conflict in our own lives. I still don't really know what this song is about, but I think it's my favorite.'
The new record was recorded live in-studio with Carpenter's closest friends and collaborators, including musical director Paul Rogers, engineer Jimmy Manfield, 'atmospheric moodmaker' Laiko a.k.a Jake LiBassi and more, often approaching each song from a perspective of playing live in bigger rooms and focusing on 'rock and roll moments.' Carpenter explores multiple genres with country, rock, indie and more across the LP's 14 tracks.
KING OF HAVING FUN is Carpenter's first full length album since 2024's Country, which saw critical acclaim from Paper, Billboard, The Tennessean, NME and others, while Rolling Stone highlighted Carpenter in their 'Future 25' feature.
Medium Build is on the road supporting Mumford & Sons this August ahead of a fall headline tour. On September 5, he makes his official debut at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry as part of the 'Opry 100' celebration.
Born and raised in Georgia, Carpenter now splits his time between hometowns in Nashville, Tennessee and Anchorage, Alaska. Creating Medium Build in 2015, Carpenter has gone on to release five studio albums to date. He has become a favorite across the creative community, with artists including John Mayer, Zach Bryan, Elton John, boygenius and more counting themselves amongst his fans. He has toured with the likes of Role Model, Tyler Childers, FINNEAS, Holly Humberstone and Briston Maroney, and found himself in a highly coveted slot on Zane Lowe's Artists to Watch 2024 list. In 2025, he was nominated for Emerging Act of the Year at the 24th Annual Americana Honors & Awards.
Tracklist
1. Every Noise Is You
2. Do Something Productive
3. Perceived
4. Bird Woman
5. Home Depot
6. It's Not Easy (Falling In Love)
7. Cone Off
8. Feed the Boys
9. In My Gut
10. Chill
11. Downpour
12. Armor
13. King of Having Fun
14. Thank You, Cook
Tour Dates
August 12—Madison Square Garden—New York, NY*
August 13—Madison Square Garden—New York, NY*
August 15—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion*
September 5—Nashville, TN—Grand Ole Opry
October 4—Washington, DC—9:30 Club†
October 5—Pittsburgh, PA—Mr. Smalls Theater†
October 6—Philadelphia, PA—Theatre of the Living Arts†
October 8—Asbury Park, NJ—Stone Pony†
October 9—New York, NY—Webster Hall†
October 10—Cambridge, MA—Royale†
October 12—Toronto, ON—The Concert Hall
October 13—Detroit, MI—St. Andrews‡
October 15—Milwaukee, WI—Turner Hall Ballroom‡
October 16—Chicago, IL—Metro‡
October 17—Madison, WI—Majestic Theatre‡
October 18—Minneapolis, MN—First Avenue‡
October 20—Kansas City, MO—Madrid Theatre‡
October 21—Oklahoma City, OK—Tower Theater‡
October 23—Englewood, CO—Gothic‡
October 24—Salt Lake City, UT—Soundwell‡
October 26—Vancouver, BC—Vogue§
October 27—Spokane, WA—Knitting Factory Spokane§
October 28—Seattle, WA—The Showbox§
October 29—Portland, OR—Roseland Theatre§
October 31—San Francisco, CA—The Regency Ballroom**
November 2—San Diego, CA—The Observatory**
November 5—Los Angeles, CA—The Bellwether**
November 6—Phoenix, AZ—The Van Buren**
November 9—Dallas, TX—Studio at the Bomb Factory**
November 10—Austin, TX—Emo's**
November 12—Memphis, TN—Satellite Music Hall††
November 13—Louisville, KY—Mercury Ballroom††
November 14—Atlanta, GA—The Eastern††
November 16—Columbus, OH—Newport Music Hall††
November 17—Indianapolis, IN—Deluxe††
November 20—Nashville, TN—Brooklyn Bowl††
*supporting Mumford & Sons †with Ken Yates ‡with Bella White §with Merle Law **with The Scratch ††with Eden Joel
Carpenter wrote IN MY GUT with Annika Bennett, describing the song as an exploration of how he and Bennett inherited patterns from their fathers around conflict and emotional toughness. The track follows previously released album cuts ARMOR and HOME DEPOT. KING OF HAVING FUN, Carpenter's first full-length album under the Medium Build name, spans 14 songs recorded live in-studio with collaborators including musical director Paul Rogers, engineer Jimmy Manfield, and Jake LiBassi.
Photo Credit: Beth Garrabrant
Photo Credit: Beth Garrabrant
