Medium Build is the King of Having Fun
Written by Clover Byrnes
Where I grew up in Southern California, there was this night that everyone in high school always looked forward to at the end of senior year. Grad Night, it was a big celebration the night of graduation, where your entire senior class was celebrating at an undisclosed location- somewhere like Disneyland, Universal Studios, or maybe even the San Diego Zoo. In 2023, I was eighteen years old and a huge concert goer (I proudly still am). I made the best decision ever to skip what some might call a “once in a lifetime event” to obviously go to a concert! That concert was none other than FINNEAS at The Belasco in Los Angeles, California, and in that venue I was introduced to the insanely talented Medium Build. You know that feeling when you go to a show, and you don’t really know much about the opener, but when they get up on that stage, start singing, and you get so excited about the new music you’re hearing that you automatically become a fan. That’s exactly how it felt to see Medium Build open for Finneas back in 2023.
Medium Build, (Nick Carpenter)'s newest album, entitled King of Having Fun, was released on September 4th, 2026. The forty-minute, fourteen-track body of work is incredibly powerful, fun, intimate, and deeply personal. The sounds on the album are folky, with mixes of indie- rock and Americana country. My favorite part of listening to newly released albums is imagining what the songs will sound like inside the walls of a venue surrounded by fans of live music. King of Having Fun did just that; it transcended me right inside of a dimly lit, semi-foggy venue that was filled with soft audience voices and laughter, all while being wrapped inside of a warm and cozy blanket you’d find on the couch in your mom’s living room.
My top songs from the album I’m super excited to hear live are It’s Not Easy (Falling In Love), Chill, Armor, Home Depot, and of course the title track King of Having Fun. If it wasn’t eighty-five degrees outside, please know that I’d be listening to this album from top to bottom with a cute autumn sweater on, while the sound of orange and brown leaves crunch under the soles of my shoes, and a crisp breeze flutters through my hair. I am really looking forward to attending the upcoming San Diego tour stop earlier next month in November! I seriously cannot wait to hear these songs live.
Medium Build’s North America King of Having Fun Fall 2026 North America Tour officially started October 4th. The tour is also set to grace the people of Australia and Europe at the start of 2027! It includes iconic openers, Ken Yates, Bella White, Merle Law, The Scratch, and Eden Joel. This tour is definitely one not to miss out on; go get your tickets now!
