“I have this weird chip on my shoulder about, like, Ryan Gosling,” laughs Medium Build‘s Nick Carpenter. We’re sitting on neatly-tucked barstools on the marquee of the iconic Georgia Theatre. Hailing from Georgia, this is nearly a hometown show for Carpenter. He occasionally looks over the marquee at friends waiting for doors to open just a few feet below us.
The October air is starting to cool off in Athens. Currently, at 7:06 pm, we’re staring showtime in the eyes, and a few hours out from the release of “Triple Marathon,” Medium Build‘s newest single. Carpenter has graciously shared some time with us to chat about music, movies, and how that would all come together to tell the story of the band.
Can you state your name, occupation, and who would play you in a movie made about Medium Build?
Alright, my name is Nick – Nick Carpenter. I play in a band called Medium Build . . . and two nights ago, a 60-year-old woman told me I look like Bradley Cooper. So, if it was a now thing, I feel like he’s a bit older than me. But, I feel like it could work. Or maybe like a Shia LaBeouf, pre-cancellation.
Disney Channel original movie or drama? What type of film would a Medium Build biopic be?
Hm, I think – well it depends! Like, if it’s a retrospective – am I sixty and it’s a story about my come-up? I mean, check out the way they do biopics. It’s normally after someone’s dead, so I’m assuming I’d be dead. I think it’s dramatic, but it’s funny. Or maybe an HBO show with a couple seasons like Dave or Atlanta. Where it feels more like a slice of life with a little bit of humor, little bit of stress. Like, a dark comedy. You know? Yeah, I think I would do that right now.
There always has to be a comedic relief moment. Do you have a specific embarrassing memory that would have to make the cut?
Whew. One time, in eighth grade, I was presenting in front of the class, and I tripped on the bottom of my shoes. I don’t know, I was probably wearing shoes that were too big because they were my brother’s and they were cool. And I fell and my pants ripped . . . just on display with, sure, some Scooby-Doo boxers just on display for, like, thirty of [my] peers. It’s one of those things that’s like, I’ll never recover. Who would play younger me? I don’t know. Who’s the chubby-teen-with-a-lisp of the moment? Who’s like – I don’t have a good pulse on child stars. Who’s the Hailey Joel Osment of the times?
We chat back and forth, laughing between questions. Carpenter and I veer off into moments off-topic; we discuss child stars, Ryan Gosling, religious backgrounds, and Tyler, the Creator’s work on the recent The Grinch movie. He takes a moment to pull up his leopard print socks before answering questions, thinking for a moment. Within the band’s lyrics and on-stage banter, it’s clear that human connection is at the forefront of their musical formation. Both in studio and on-stage, Medium Build stands out for lived-in lyricism and genre-bending musicianship. The band self-professes that their live shows are “equal parts concerts, testimony, and stand-up comedy.” While the band has blazed their own distinct trail of distinctly vulnerable lyricism, it’s clear that this isn’t a gimmick. After taking a moment to sit down with Carpenter, it only confirms that Medium Build is the real deal.
Who would you bring in to direct? To score and soundtrack?
Okay, I’d want it to be directed by Mark Duplass. You know the Duplass brothers? They do very slow-paced – like, movies with no scripts. And just like the concept of a scene is all about tension and drama. I’d have – who would make the music? You know Runnner? His name is Noah. He scored a movie last year, then it got canceled. He showed me the score and I was like “dude, you should do this more.” Or, I wonder if Justin Bieber would do it. ‘Cause Justin’s done almost everything so . . . let’s get him a keyboard. Let’s see what Bieber can do with my score . . . “You Smile, I Smile” that was my song when I was a kid. I feel like grown-up Biebs is a bit more moody, sexy. I’m hoping there’s a really tense scene with a romantic partner and Justin’s just, like, scoring up a really just tragic ‘I need this love to work,’ you know?
You say you only kind of like musicals. What does that mean?
Sweeney Todd! I watched that every day of senior year, for some reason. I don’t know why – I was a moody little teenager. Or, Fiddler on the Roof . . . my Mom was raised Jewish. I’m a quarter Jewish. Harrison Ford is also a quarter Jewish.
That’s one of my questions, actually. Who’s your dream celebrity cameo and how would you write them into the story?
Harrison Ford, uh, mentor/daddy type. Professor type who tells me I can write songs. Maybe he gives me a poem or a book – like, a stranger on a bus who gives you a book, you know? Like, mystical and he’s like “what are you writing? Let me read it!” [laughs]
Medium Build is coming off a run of shows supporting alt-rock ensemble Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Their headline tour is set to run through the Southeast for the Fall, with festival appearances sprinkled in. After attending a show, there’s absolutely no doubt that the band has created a base of fans that connect deeply with the music. There’s a slew of influences and culture pulsing through the music. Despite – or perhaps because – the intimate and deeply personal nature of Carpenter’s storytelling; he’s connected with a vast array of people and continues to generate scream-singing crowds internationally.
Sounds like the Polar Express. Have you watched it recently? What was going on with that?
No, I haven’t . . . I will. I’m going to run the Polar Express. Dude, it is just magic. It’s just magic. That’s the whole thing.
What song would be playing in the final scene?
Yeah, end of the flick and I’m walking out. Um, maybe “Earfquake” by Tyler, the Creator? Or maybe “Kaleidoscope” by Chappell Roan. I don’t know, it depends on what happens at the end. Am I dead?
Do you think the big cinematic moment for this film has already happened?
Well, I think the most cinematic experiences of life are the small ones that we choose to zoom in on. Right? Like, have you seen the TikTok . . . they’re like ‘there was a last time you ever made a bed fort’ or last time you ever did whatever? But you didn’t know it. And it’s the last time you ever jumped in a pile of leaves and you’re just like . . . why is my feed trying to make me nostalgic and sad right now? It’s like, okay, those are those dramatic moments that really deserve the music, you know . . . I can be really sentimental. I can also be really calloused. I was a really soft and sentimental kid, but I feel like it wasn’t reciprocated by the world . . . yeah, I think I just I wanted the world to be sweet and gushy and tender.
Do you have a most-referenced movie line or inside joke?
Like, in my house? When I was a kid, we quoted a lot of Jack Black. School of Rock, Nacho Libre. My Mom would always be like, “you only believe in science!” That was a big one. Or, a lot of Steve Martin. Three Amigos.
The air grows cooler and the sky grows darker with each question. The glow of the marquee lights shine on my unfolded journal page with all my questions. We laugh, telling stories about our family and taste in movies. During the show, Carpenter will share his love for human connection. He’ll tell the audience members about the temporary nature of life. He recounts what’s mattered for him: his family, his friends, the music, the storytelling, all the moments only he could experience. This isn’t uncommon for Carpenter, and the message weaves its’ way through live shows, social media captions, lyricism, and other interviews. But for this moment, he’s sharing this idea with the way he laughs hard, tells real stories, and thinks about each question carefully. It’s an authenticity you can’t fake.
If there were a post-credit scene, what would it be?
Oh like the sneak-attack. It would be and my boys in a hotel . . . middle of nowhere, sitting outside the pool. It’s closed, 1 AM, on a Tuesday in Indiana, smoking . . . bottle of tequila being passed around and we’re all telling stories from our childhood. That, to me, is maybe the best thing I could get. I love the music, love the traveling, love writing. I have dynamic relationships with people. But like, the laughs I have with my homies are some of the, like, the safest I’ve ever felt. Which, I just think everyone should see that. I think everyone should see five people that really know and adore each other just goofing. I don’t feel like we have enough goofing. I feel like we have a lot of performing. Everyone’s performing. Everything is so single. It’s front-facing cameras and alone and walking through the city and hot take, hot take, hot take. And it’s like, who are you friends with? But yeah, I think we need to observe more friendships.
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