They call themselves The Mermaids.

Just like the mythical creatures the band is named after, members consider themselves a strange breed.

“We are trying to digitize music as little as we can,” said Matt McCalvin, the band’s vocalist and guitarist.

This may not seem unique until it is revealed the band’s first music release will not be on a CD — at all.

“We are releasing our stuff on vinyl,” McCalvin said.

The Mermaids are working on its debut album, to be released on vinyl and cassette tape.

He explained there would not only be no CD release, but the band’s first single would be released in mid- to late August as a 7-inch vinyl.

McCalvin said he originally thought of the idea to put their debut material on vinyl. When he presented the concept to the rest of the band, he said everyone was in favor of the idea.

“[Music] just sounds better on vinyl, in our opinion,” said Josh Hughes, the band’s guitarist.

Not only is the band looking toward using vinyl to promote itself, but The Mermaids even thought of a more recent retro concept — cassette tapes.

“The cassette tapes will probably have a few extra songs that won’t be on the vinyl single,” McCalvin said.

There is an economic philosophy behind the decision not to use CDs, Hughes said.

He said he believes having the option of getting a vinyl or a cassette tape at a show is unique and would therefore encourage more people to purchase the music, whereas a CD is not as original.

“CDs are no fun, it’s just cooler to have the record with the nice picture on the front of the sleeve,” Hughes said.

Influenced by the 1950’s and 60s, the newly-formed band consists of musicians Sam Wagstaff, McCalvin, Noah Adams, Josh Hughes, Ryan Fetter and their mascot — a Chihuahua named Little Man.

“We get our influences from bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys,” Hughes said.

“You know, ‘strummie’ kind of guitar and ‘drummie’ kind of drums with some keyboards and harmonies, stuff like that.”

While the band may be based out of Atlanta, these Mermaids have already swum upstream to Athens in order to work on getting their single out.

“We recently came up to Athens to master our recordings with Joel Hatstat for the upcoming vinyl,” said Fetter, drummer for the band.

He added he worked on a previous project with Hatstat.

While the upcoming vinyl single may be the standard A-side, B-side, McCalvin said he doesn’t like to think of it like that.

“I don’t really see it as releasing a single — they’re both equally good songs from the album,” McCalvin said.

The band’s interest in vinyl reaches much farther than a simple single, as it plans on releasing a full-length vinyl record.

Unfortunately, no matter how much The Mermaids preferred to avoid any type of digital media, there was one place where the up-and-coming band felt it could not avoid having its music featured.

“We are releasing our music on iTunes as well,” McCalvin said.