June 11, 2026
The Making of Mediocre Men: From MAMM to Resurgam
We sit in a practice room at Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) on Fore Street. It’s 7pm on a Friday night and Mediocre Men—a four-piece band of 15- and 16-year-olds from Scarborough High—are rehearsing for their upcoming Resurgam performance.
There is a lot of buzz surrounding this all-female band. In 2025, they won a slot at the Resurgam Battle of the Bands. Then they were invited to play at Back Cove Fest, sharing the stage with the likes of The Roots and Jack White.
Most recently, Mediocre Men were named “Most Dynamic Band” at the annual MAMM Slam in May. King Kyote then selected them to open for his show at Live at Madrid’s. That concert has been rescheduled to later this year (with the invitation for the band to open for him still in place)—so Mediocre Men is playing their set on the MAMM stage at Resurgam instead.
When I meet the band, they come across as fairly typical freshmen and sophomores, but then they plug in their electric guitars. And the intricate sound that emits from this group is nothing less than extraordinary.
They kick off with “Criminal” by Fiona Apple. Julia Morgenbesser plays the bass effortlessly while leaning into the microphone and bringing her flawless voice to Apple’s haunting lyrics. Sophie Kelley anchors the sound with the rhythm guitar, Esmae Ritch plays lead guitar and contributes backing vocals, and in the far corner, Olivia Hussey rocks the drums. Julia and Esmae’s twin vocals are spellbinding.
Cam Currier sits in the center of the room. He’s a music instructor at MAMM and a member of the indie band Primrose. Under his guidance, the band has developed a sound built on emotional, guitar-driven arrangements and technically demanding performances.
Cam looks like a punk rock conductor of sorts, gesturing to the band to turn up the volume as they come to the chorus. As he throws his arms in the air, Olivia launches into some phenomenal drumming and the entire sound lifts. After the song, Cam runs through key areas of improvement that he’s written in his notebook.
Mediocre Men first came together in 2024 after meeting at MAMM. What started as a shared interest in music quickly turned into a serious band built around regular rehearsals, school balance, and live performance opportunities.
I ask how they came up with the band name.
“We really liked the word ‘mediocre’,” explains Julia with a smile. “We thought, what’s the best thing we could put next to mediocre? And we were like, men.”
So far, the band is focusing on playing covers and strengthening their chops.
“We don’t write our own songs yet, but we’re super interested in doing that,” explains Esmae. “We play a lot of alternative rock like Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, and Paramore. We work hard; we practice a lot.”
Mediocre Men is an example of what can happen when talented young people grow up in the MAMM system. Sophie is a remarkable multi-instrumentalist who plays drums and bass and has recently focused her attention on the guitar. Esmae has been playing since the age of ten and Julia since she was eight. Olivia says she’s always wanted to play the drums and has been grateful for the lessons she’s had at MAMM.
As I leave them to the rest of their practice, guitars are being tuned, and Cam is flipping through his notebook. I ask if there is any final message they want to tell the world.
“Follow us on Instagram!” says Esmae.
You can catch Mediocre Men on Sunday, June 14 at 5:30pm on the Amethyst Park Stage. You can find the full list of MAMM students time slots here.
About Resurgam
Resurgam is the largest, FREE and open to the public music and arts festival in the state of Maine. The Maine Academy of Modern Music partners with the City of Portland and local community businesses to offer this music and arts event annually at Ocean Gateway and the surrounding areas. More info: www.resurgamfestival.com.
About Maine Academy of Modern Music
Maine Academy of Modern Music is a 501 ©(3) nonprofit committed to offering a wide range of music classes and opportunities for all ages across the state of Maine. Whether students are soloists or part of a band, MAMM’s dedicated instructors provide quality tutoring in person or remotely. More info: www.maineacademyofmodernmusic.org.