Spotlight on East Lothian’s Youth Music: A Scene on the Rise

Across East Lothian, youth music is thriving. In school halls, rehearsal spaces and community venues, young musicians are finding opportunities to perform, grow and be heard. That’s thanks to a group of organisations committed to supporting the next generation of talent.

This year has already brought some brilliant examples of that support. The Battle of the Bands at Haddstock and the upcoming event at Dunbar Civic Week are giving young performers a genuine place in the local music landscape.

Haddstock 2025: A Platform for Young Talent

Credit: East Lothian Council Arts Service

On Sunday 25 May, ELJam (East Lothian Youth Music Forum) hosted a high-energy Battle of the Bands as part of Haddstock Festival in Haddington. The event, delivered in partnership with The Brunton, brought together young musicians from across East Lothian for a day of live music and community support.

The event gave young musicians the chance to perform live as part of the festival programme. Prizes were awarded to support the winners’ next steps, including a songwriting masterclass, a recording session and rehearsal time in the Pro Room here at Mushrooms Studios.

Dunbar Civic Week: Youth Music Centre Stage

Next up is the Dunbar Civic Week Battle of the Bands on Saturday 14 June, organised by Dunbar Community Council as part of the town’s annual celebrations.

Credit: Dunbar Civic Week

Five bands are set to perform:

• Vega

• Thorne

• The Melophiles

• Atometal

• The Motley

We’re looking forward to being involved again, as Mushrooms' own Ross is joining the judging panel on the day. As with Haddstock, we’re offering a free rehearsal session in the Pro Room as part of the prize.

Collaboration at the Core

Events like these are the result of collaboration between organisations that care about young people having access to creative opportunities. ELJam, The Brunton, Haddstock and Dunbar Community Council have all played a vital role in shaping this year’s programme of youth music.

Their work is supported by a wider network of teachers, tutors, youth workers and volunteers who help bring these events to life. It’s that combined effort that allows young people to step onto a stage and showcase their hard work and talent.

Supporting the Journey

Live performances help build experience and confidence, encourage connection and creativity and show young people that their voice matters.

We’re glad to play a small part in that journey, whether through rehearsal space or support behind the scenes.

Looking Ahead

East Lothian’s youth music scene is full of potential and already producing memorable moments. As we look forward to Dunbar Civic Week’s Battle of the Bands, it’s clear that the future of local music is in good hands.

We’ll be there, and we hope you will too.

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East Lothian's Youth Music Links and Info:

• ELJam – East Lothian Youth Music Forum

• Haddstock Festival

• Dunbar Civic Week Facebook

• The Brunton

Band Focus at Mushrooms Studios: Idiogram

Idiogram

Welcome to the very first Band Focus at Mushrooms Studios - a new feature where we shine a light on the bands that bring life (and noise) to our rehearsal rooms. First up is Idiogram: a band that defies easy labels, leans fully into the creative unknown and makes instrumental music that somehow says more than words ever could.

They answered a few of our questions recently, and rather than over-polish it, we’re letting it roll as-is. Because it’s class.

Band Introduction

Who’s in the band, and how did you all meet?

Lesley (piano, keys) was the one who brought us all together in the beginning – she knew Ali (bass) from work and Keith (drums) from the Edinburgh gig scene back in the 2010s. Other Ali joined us on guitar a bit further down the line. Everything since then has bloomed quite organically and collaboratively; our only real intention at the start was just to make some instrumental music, simply for the love of doing it and the creative process, and see how it turned out. It’s kind of snowballed from there!

What’s the story behind your band name?

photo credit: Deborah Mullen

There’s a fair bit of blatant nerdery here, so stick with us. In biology, an idiogram is a standard format for graphically displaying chromosomes. Really it was the sound of the word that appealed to us more than anything else, but on closer inspection we realised the word originates from Ancient Greek as an ‘image of the self’, or ‘self portrait’. In retrospect we’ve found this really is quintessentially us – we’ve always tried to make the music we want to make, regardless of genres or scenes.

Your Sound

What genre do you think your music fits into?

Sweating slightly at this question given the last answer! If you’ve listened to our music, it’s probably apparent that we’re all over the place genre-wise – is post-genre a thing? If you pressed us, we would label ourselves as post-prog/electronic/ambient. Make of that what you will!

How has your sound evolved over time?

Well, that electronic element perhaps wasn’t quite there, or at least not as prominently, in the beginning. When we recorded our album with Graeme Young at Chamber Studios, his contribution as producer also definitely took us to a whole new place with the number of layers, synth patches and so on. We had to go back into rehearsals for quite a few months after the album was in the can, just to work out how on earth to recreate it all live. There are a few such sequences which, even after ample rehearsals, still teeter on the edge of collapse when played live – which is just how we like it.

Your Music

Tell us about your latest track/album and what inspired it

Our debut album ‘Reunion of Broken Parts’ was released in March. It’s been a real labour of love – several years all told to write, record and release it to the world, but the response has been better than we even dared to hope for.

As we make instrumental music, the sources of inspiration that we draw on are perhaps less

than obvious, but somewhere in there is a mixture of our personal joys and difficulties during

our time together as a band, and a fair bit of the fragmentary state of the world today. We

mainly hope that listeners will attach their own meanings to the music, and get from it what they need.

How do you usually write and create your music?

Our writing/composing method is completely collaborative and there’s no single ‘songwriter’. That’s pretty key to who we are as a band. Our tracks typically start from a small sketch or idea which one of us has recorded quickly at home, which we’ll then bump up against other musical orphans that seem to fit (or contrast!) in an interesting way, and see if it can be made to work. We have described this process somewhat grandly as ‘assemblage’ in the past.

Very occasionally, one of us will have an idea for several minutes of music already fully-formed, which we’ll then try to perform as a group. Or, sometimes we just sort of stare into the abyss and eat biscuits while waiting for bolts of inspiration. Whatever works, I suppose.

Why Mushrooms Studios?

What made you choose Mushrooms Studios as your rehearsal space?

It’s a combination of location, location, location (we’re all based in East Lothian and Midlothian) and the down-to-earth vibes that radiate from Mushrooms which have kept us coming back. The new premises at Fenton Barns are also clearly coming together well, so we’re looking forward to seeing that develop over time!

Got any fun or memorable stories from rehearsing here?

Our guitarist Ali was really quite attached to a certain wingback chair (he’s going to kill me for saying this) in room 4 of the old Musselburgh premises (RIP). Couldn’t pry him out with a

crowbar during practice. We half-jokingly considered getting him one for on-stage just to get those living room vibes. I mean, should we do that?

photo credit: Tom Swift

Looking Ahead

What are your goals for the band in the next year?

We’re working away on multiple fronts at the moment to set ourselves up for the months ahead. We’re applying to play gigs, festivals and events with our visuals collaborator Sam Healy, and we’d love to just get this show out on the road.

We’re also trying to up our game on that most hated aspect of DIY music, marketing, and have been to a few workshops and seminars to learn some skills and tricks of the trade. Things like how to do digital ads, best use of streaming platforms, and maybe even making a little cash from syncs to pay for the next writing and recording cycle.

Think it’s fair to say that doing all this is quite a lot on top of our day jobs and the rest of our

lives, but just beneath the surface layer of fatigue we’re all pretty excited about where this will go – assuming we don’t melt into a puddle of free molecules first, of course.

How can fans best support you right now?

We’d just like to be heard as far and wide as possible for the moment, I think, and everything

else will flow - please do head over to our Bandcamp to buy the album, or fire it up on your streaming service of choice.

Follow us on Instagram if you want to keep updated with our goings-on and enjoy wholesome nonsense. Share freely if you like what you hear. Any of those would be greatly appreciated!

Introducing our 'Band Focus' at Mushrooms Studios

Supporting Local Talent

Here at Mushrooms Studios, we're passionate about supporting musicians across the Lothians and beyond. Our studios, from the original rooms at Musselburgh (sadly lost to the fire earlier this year) to our new spaces at Fenton Barns, have hosted countless jam sessions, rehearsals, and creative breakthroughs. We're incredibly proud to be a part of so many musicians' journeys.

Shining a Spotlight

To celebrate and elevate the talent from the fantastic bands who rehearse here, we're thrilled to introduce our new feature: 'Band Focus'. Each edition will highlight a different band, exploring their stories, sounds, inspirations, and ambitions.

Building Community

We believe music is better together. By featuring local bands, we aim to foster connections, celebrate diversity, and build an even stronger, more vibrant music community in and around the Lothians.

Our First Band Focus

We're excited to announce that the first band to kick off this feature will be the brilliant Idiogram. Keep an eye out later this week for their unique story, exclusive insights into their creative process, and some great photos. In the meantime, check them out on Instagram @idiogramband.

Watch this space, share the love, and let's keep growing our local music scene together!