Via Vitor and Chris

Maya Jabbari

Editor-In-Chief

In Montreal’s local music scene, few emerging CEGEP bands have been together quite as long as Arresting Mermaids. The four-piece indie melodic rock group has been finding their sound over the last few years, with talent and drive that spans decades and genres, from indie to folk to classic rock; they are truly heading towards the making of music that feels both nostalgic and new.

Uncommonly, the members of Arresting Mermaids come from across the city’s CEGEP circuit. Vitor Avolio Quattrocchi, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist, is at Dawson. Matthew Bedwany, their lead guitarist, is in his last year of high school, hoping to soon attend Dawson and meet up with Vitor. On the bass is Josh Corado, who just graduated from Dawson and is now in his first year at McGill. And finally, behind the drums is Chris Bedwany, Matthew’s brother, who currently studies at Vanier.

First meeting at McCaig Elementary School in the third grade, the band explains that knowing each other for so long has helped them in the long run. Although forming a lasting group took time, their connectedness with music has no doubt shaped who they are. They’ve been running for 3–4 years, but they say that “[their] journey really started when Vitor called everyone around two months before Secondary 5 finished, and brought back Arresting Mermaids” as they had been on a bit of a break.

Before then, things were kind of confusing and finding their sound was hard. One story, the band affectionately calls the “guitar incident,” captures that chaos. In our interview, they recalled that at one point, they had three guitarists, a keyboardist, and another singer. For them, there were way too many people, and they said “It was like [they] were just a bunch of amateurs, not skilled, but so in love with music and the making of it.”

That stage for Arresting Mermaids didn’t last, but it set the tone for their persistence. And in 2023, they got Matthew to play with them, saying it was “the best decision [they] ever made as a group.”

Today, the band identifies as Indie/Rock or Melodic/Rock and proudly calls themselves a “Dawson Band.” They’ve moved beyond covers (though they enjoy performing them very much) and are settling into their own creative identity. As far as people know, the only original they have released is “Plenty of Fish” in May. But don’t fret, so much more from them is coming.

Excitedly, they told me that they have been working on their debut album, At The Fair, which is nearly finished. Matt says that every song on it kind of fits into a different genre, yet the tracks still work so well together. According to Chris, “[They’re] trying to find their sound, and the album is kind of more melancholic than [they] expected.” Including their fun and strange lyrics, their songs have an amusement park-fair-like feel to them. Vitor adds that “once [they] release the album cover, easter eggs will be hidden in it”, alluding to its different tracks. The band also cites the album’s addition of piano, synth, trumpet, choir, and whistling as a model for their own approach to layered production and experimentation. They tell me that their biggest inspiration for their debut album is The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

After asking them about their favourite performance, they all agreed that playing under the Van Horne Bridge was special, and that’s what made it so unforgettable, especially when they covered “Karma Police,” by Radiohead and everyone was singing along. Surrounded by friends and family, it became one of those nights that reminded them why they play. “When we settled in, the adrenaline kicked in, and it was addicting,” said Vitor. “The rowdiness made it fun,” he added. 

Matt also mentions that playing at a Canada Day festival, two days before their Van Horne Bridge performance, was his favourite because they were on a bigger stage, meaning bigger equipment, and more room, making their experience feel more professional.

“Playing both Bluedog and Van Horne, Arresting Mermaids feels thankful for the experiences they’ve been given with the local artist/music community during such a challenging time. “

Chris jokingly says, “To everyone, if you like a venue, don’t let us play there because clearly they close down.” The laughter is bittersweet. They tell me that as artists, it’s really sad to see such known and iconic venues shut down, loved by not only them, but also so many other bands and their crowds. Still, they’re grateful for the ventures they’ve had. Van Horne was a classic spot, and they feel beyond lucky to have played there just a week or so before it closed for performances.

Via @nix.png__ on Instagram

Arresting Mermaids has even begun collaborating with others in the local scene. They’ve jammed out with The Tower at Dawson’s Bandfest, which was a bigger production, three guitars, two singers, and made it a whole lot of fun, says the band.

Of their favourite local artists, Photobomb, Lucy’s Delirium, Honey, Save Our Sleep, and Plus the Band, all take the cake as they continue to inspire them and where they plan on heading musically.

Early on, aiming at grounding themselves in the music scene, the band cycled through several potential names. Vitor says, “[They] originally named [themselves] Pinheads, but it was copyrighted.” Another consideration was “Close Encounters of the Third Grade” because of their meeting.

But how they really got Arresting Mermaids was pretty close to picking names out of a hat. Chris explains that he and Josh were hanging out in Josh’s pool and were spitballing, by using a generator online and, after quite some time, landed on Arresting Mermaids  — you might’ve caught the name’s similarity to The Smashing Pumpkins, whom they love.As a final note, I asked them: if they could attend any concert, which one would it be? Their dream choices reveal just how varied their musical roots are. Josh says that going to see Paul McCartney soon is his dream, and that’s coming true. Vitor notes that seeing The Beatles would be revolutionary. Chris picks the Misfits, while Matt opts for Van Halen — specifically “at their peak with David Lee Roth.”

“It’s clear that each member’s personal taste adds a different colour to Arresting Mermaids’ palette.”

With their debut album on the horizon and their roots firmly in Montreal’s youth-driven music community, Arresting Mermaids are ready to take their next leap with At The Fair. They may still be students, but with a profound love for music and plenty of sound left to discover, they’re already making waves.