After growing out of his church upbringing of mission trips and "sad Jesus songs," Carpenter found himself in Anchorage, Alaska, where Medium Build began to take its full form. A songwriter first, Carpenter finds inspiration in storytellers like Billy Joel and Randy Newman, combining narrative lyrics with an R&B-tinged, guitar-driven production style. Medium Build is an amalgamation of genres and influences with Carpenter at its core, approaching life and music with humor, empathy and casual absurdity.