On Saturday, I headed into the festival grounds at 1pm to meet Nick Carpenter, who records and performs under the name, “Medium Build”. Born and raised in Georgia, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter released his debut album Falling Apart in 2016. Carpenter has toured with a number of artists over his career as Medium Build, such as Briston Maroney, Tyler Childers, Lewis Capaldi, and FINNEAS, continuing to walk the line between indie-country and alternative styles. His fifth studio album, Country, was released in April 2024. This weekend, he’s playing at 5pm on the Panhandle Stage.
I meet Nick and his tour manager in the media tent. They’re ready early, she has messaged me, and are set to chat whenever. He’s dressed casually, as in ready-for-a-hike, sporting an inside-out Nike fleece, running shorts, and hiking boots. His legs are covered in colorful tattoos, but the funky non-menacing kind: one being the green Lacoste brand’s signature alligator. The tent is more crowded today on the second day of the festival. Reporters sit on tall chairs at a table in a line tapping furiously away on their laptops, while a camera crew sets up lights in the corner of the small outdoor deck.
Nick gestures outside, asking if we can leave for the interview. Heading out of the tent, we find a patch of grass up left of the media tent and above the main stage. We’re quite far, but the thumping bass from the current performer shakes the ground and pulses through us as we sit down on the grass. I test to make sure I’ll be able to hear Nick in my recording over the booming rap music, and we decide we can stay where we are, main stage and all.
So how are you doing today? Is this your first time in San Francisco or in Golden Gate Park?
Yeah, well, first time playing this festival. We played the Independent a few months ago, and me and my bass player went on a big walk and run through the park… it’s just great.
You played at Lollapalooza just a couple weeks ago, and now you’re here at OSL this weekend. What is your experience of playing at these big festivals compared to concerts on your tour?
This is our first festival season, you know we just kind of broke into that realm. And honestly? Not a fan. It’s too overwhelming. We just did two months of touring doing our headline tour, and we did a bunch of support tours before that. And I just love venues, you know? I’m not anti-festival, I love going to a festival, I love wandering around and eating crazy food, I love actively discovering a band. But it’s taxing, showing up, it’s harder to read the room, and everyone is just tired and stressed behind the scenes.
I’m trying to remember that it’s low stakes and fun, but it’s hard not to get in my head and be like “we need to be so fun, and go crazy.”
Anything you’re excited for about your set today?
I just feel like this festival feels chiller than Lala last weekend. Even the weather too, like everything is just kind of more subdued… it was like 100 degrees last week at Lala, so this is amazing. If a hundred people hang and watch and discover it [my set], it’s great and I’m just excited. We just wanna make new fans.
A lot of the tracks on your most recent album, Country, stand out from classical American country styles as unique in subject matter and sound- Can you talk about what you think makes your country sound different, especially coming out of Nashville yourself?
I love country music, but I don’t think I make traditional quote-unquote country music. A lot of the stuff I write is really simple 3-chord… I used to get teased because my songs were kind of simple and twangy when I made more indie stuff. But I think I’m slowly just getting into the fact that maybe I am just alternative country, or twangy indie. But I have a lot of love and respect for country music, so it doesn’t feel that far off. But I don’t feel like I make Zach Bryan or Morgan Wallen type-shit.
Totally. With them in mind, what were some of your key inspirations for this album, or people you worked with?
Yeah, definitely taking notes from some of the Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan stuff where I feel like it has less production. I used to lean heavy on production and doing fun computer tricks and stuff with synths, but now it’s like, “what if we just put two mics in the room, and did less?”
We did a track with Gabe Simon on Country, who did Noah’s record. I was listening to a bunch of 90s Springsteen, Patty Griffin, David Rawlings, just simple recorded live type-shit. That’s kind of what I wanted it to feel like.
A lot of your songs have these humorous or playful lyrics, while also tackling stronger emotions of love and self-discovery. What is your writing process like and what has moved you to cover both of these extremes in your lyricism?
I come from some pretty goofy people, my dad’s quick with a joke. I think serious topics are always better couched in humor. I have a hard time being serious all the time, and I used humor as a defense mechanism my whole life. So I think if you put a little bit of humor in some really serious shit, it’s easier for people to swallow. Sometimes it even sneaks by people without them even realizing how heavy it is.
You’re touring with Rainbow Kitten Surprise this September, how are you feeling about that?
Stoked. Their fans are crazy, the rooms are crazy big, and we’re going to places we haven’t been, like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont. I’ve never been up there, it seems beautiful. It’s Noah Kahan territory…stick people…stick season. And we get to go in fall, so I’m very excited. RKS, they’re legends, and they put on a really great show. So i’m excited to see the show.
Alright, I have to know: where does the name “Medium Build” come from?
I was on a date with my childhood best friend, in our mid-twenties we thought we were gonna, like, get together. So we knew each other really well but it was really awkward because it had never been romantic, and now it’s romantic. And we went to this art exhibit where this guy was drawing your memory of a loved one. It was supposed to be romantic. And we leave the tent, and she was like, “how would you describe me?” And I was like, “Oh, brown hair, brown eyes, medium build…” and before I could get to the nice stuff, like “rosy cheeks,” she was like “what the fuck do you mean by medium build?” And I was like uh…foot in mouth. Never describe someone as medium build. And we went home to my roommates who totally clowned me, with her, and then when I wanted to make this music project that I felt was a little more embarrassing and honest, I just thought, “what better way then to call it something silly and disarming?”
I’m medium, medium is fun!
Okay, last question, who are you excited to see perform this weekend?
Ah, I mean… everyone. Definitely Sabrina, Chappell. I was bummed that I missed the Killers last night because I was flying in. I really wanna see Fletcher today, and Ryan Beatty. Hopefully get to see Teddy Swims, Postal Service tonight. And tomorrow is stacked.
That’s right. Post Malone Country Set… thoughts?
Ah dude… I’m 1000% in love with that.
Oh ok, that’s good to hear. There’ve been some mixed responses to seeing him on the lineup.
I mean, I’m jealous. I wanna be up there doing country standards. I’ve seen the pop set [of Post Malone] at Bonnaroo, and if I don’t have to sit through all the G-wagon shit and I just get to listen to “I’m Gonna Miss Her” by Brad Paisley, like, I’m in.
Alright, well I hope you hear it. And good luck today.
You can listen to Medium Build’s recent album, Country, at the link: https://mediumbuild.lnk.to/CountryOutNow
