Rising singer-songwriter Medium Build, also known as Nick Carpenter, has teamed up with longtime friend Julien Baker for the emotionally charged new single, ‘Yoke.' The song is the second single from Medium Build’s forthcoming EP, ‘Marietta,' set for release on November 15 via Slowplay/Island Records. Fans can listen to the track here.
Carpenter and Baker’s collaboration on ‘Yoke' comes from a decade-long friendship that began during their college days at Middle Tennessee State University. Their shared experiences of growing up queer in the Southern church have shaped both their personal lives and their music, and ‘Yoke' reflects this journey. The song poignantly addresses the feeling of leaving behind a community that may no longer accept you. Baker’s feature on the track adds depth, especially in lines like, “I gave them my youth, made some lifelong friends, who no longer acknowledge me,” capturing a raw and cathartic moment in Carpenter’s storytelling.
‘Marietta,' named after the town in Georgia where Carpenter grew up, explores themes of family, faith, and youthful angst. Carpenter’s childhood memories are woven throughout the EP, which features imagery from his hometown captured by Silken Weinberg (known for her work with Ethel Cain). Reflecting on his past, Carpenter explains, “Marietta is more so a zoom out of my childhood… Extending grace to my family. To myself. I just wanna thank myself and my parents for surviving my childhood.”
The EP’s first single, ‘Triple Marathon,' offered a taste of what’s to come with Carpenter delving into the complexities of his upbringing. This project follows Carpenter’s recent full-length album, ‘Country,' released in April, which received praise from outlets like NPR Music, People, Billboard, and NME. ‘Country' sees Carpenter wrestling with the concept of home, as he draws from his Southern roots and his connections to Anchorage, Alaska, and Nashville, Tennessee. “I wanted this album to have my goddamn DNA on it,” Carpenter says. “I wanted ‘Country' to be something you love with, dance with, cry with, sleep with, and lean into.”
After wrapping up his recent U.S. headline tour, Medium Build is set to bring his soulful music to UK fans with a five-date tour beginning on November 7 in Manchester and concluding on November 13 in London. This tour is set to bring the heartfelt, introspective sounds of Medium Build to new audiences.
UK TOUR DATES
Thursday November 7th – Manchester, Academy 3
Saturday November 9th – Glasgow, Oran Mor
Monday November 11th – Birmingham, Mama Roux’s
Tuesday November 12th – Bristol, Thekla
Wednesday November 13th – London, Islington Assembly Hall
