Medium Build – King of Having Fun

Medium Build's King of Having Fun is a 2026 Island release built around Nick Carpenter's sharply observed writing and emotional directness. Written in the heat of summer and recorded live in the studio with close friends and collaborators, it sets personal upheaval against a wider coming-of-age frame: the distance between a kid riding too far from home and an adult looking for relief in the wrong places.

That tension gives the album its shape. Across 14 tracks, Carpenter moves through friendship, freedom, addiction, anxiety, love, and regret, with a sound that pulls together country, rock, and indie without losing its intimacy. The appeal here is less polish for its own sake than the sense of songs being played through in real time, with candid detail kept front and centre.

What makes King of Having Fun especially engaging is the way it balances warning signs with the pull of simple pleasures. Part cautionary tale and part search for renewal, it keeps returning to the idea that wonder can be recovered through ordinary acts: getting outside, taking chances, and calling your friends. For listeners coming to Medium Build through his recent rise, this feels like a clear, human next step in a catalogue already known for honesty about heartache and mental health.

Features

• Black Vinyl gatefold edition
• Printed inner sleeve and insert
• Includes bonus "King of Having Fun" print or paper crown