Medium Build Serves Up ’90s Pop-Country and Emotional Blind Spots on New Single ’Home Depot’

If you’ve ever met someone who can rewire a kitchen in twenty minutes flat but completely stonewalls the second you ask how they’re doing, Nick Carpenter has a song for you.

Operating under the moniker Medium Build, Carpenter is back with “Home Depot” the latest single pulled from his upcoming sophomore album, King of Having Fun (dropping September 4 via slowplay/Island Records).

Leaning into warm, nostalgic ’90s pop-country textures that channel the timeless production of Shania Twain or peak-era Tim McGraw, “Home Depot” proves once again that Carpenter doesn’t just write catchy hooks—he has a knack for capturing the quiet, stubborn flaws of everyday people.

Meet “Steve”: The King of the Cul-de-Sac

At the core of “Home Depot” is a razor-sharp character study of a very specific archetype: Steve.

He’s the dad, the stepdad, or the uncle who keeps a pristine lawn, trims his mustache with military precision, and measures his entire existence by how much he can fix, build, or haul back in the bed of his truck. He’s always at the hardware store—yet his internal emotional landscape is locked tighter than Fort Knox.

Carpenter didn’t write the track to tear these guys down, though. Instead, it’s equal parts an empathetic nod to the partners stuck in their orbit and an honest look inward.

“‘Home Depot’ is about the man in your life more focused on the external than internal,” Carpenter explains. “The lawn is manicured and the mustache is trimmed… When I set out to write this song I wanted to commiserate with the women stuck in the orbits of these men. I was curious how we stay stuck to these guys. As I dug in, what I found was a humanisation of the Steves in my life and a realisation that even on my best day, I am really just like him.”

What to Expect From King of Having Fun

Following his breakout 2024 album Country—which landed him praise everywhere from Billboard and Paper to Rolling Stone’s “Future 25″—Carpenter is opening up his sonic playbook.

• The Vibe: Following lead single “Armor,” “Home Depot” bridges the gap between raw indie-rock grit and classic country storytelling. It was cut live in the studio with a tight creative circle, featuring musical director Paul Rogers, engineer/producer Jimmy Manfield, and textural wizard Laiko.

• The Scope: The upcoming 14-track record is built with bigger stages in mind, pairing Carpenter’s signature lyrical vulnerability with massive, crowd-ready rock-and-roll arrangements.

Catch Medium Build on Tour

If you want to experience “Home Depot” in a room full of people screaming the words, Carpenter has a massive run of dates locked in for late 2026:

• August: Hitting major arenas supporting Mumford & Sons across cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, and New York.

• September 5: Making his official debut at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for their “Opry 100” celebration.

• Fall Headlining Run: Kicking off October 4 at Washington D.C.’s 9:30 Club, hitting Philly, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, and the West Coast before wrapping up at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl in late November.

“Home Depot” is streaming everywhere now.