Bands and Artists Benefit COVID-19 Relief Through Stay at Home Merch

By Brendan Menapace

With tours, concerts and music festivals being canceled, bands and artists have had to find new ways to get their merchandise out. Thankfully, we live in an age where they can sell T-shirts and records online and mail them directly to fans. A few bands and artists have taken their quarantine merch sales game to new, more altruistic heights by tying in special items with charitable donations.

Jared Leto—known both as the frontman of 30 Seconds to Mars and the actor whose portrayal of The Joker was, um, polarizing—used his newfound free time to release a T-shirt that touches on the current situation and his love of movies. He's been watching movies every day and inviting Twitter followers to join him through the hashtag #JaredLetoCinemaClub.

The “May the Forced Quarantine Be With You” T-shirt is currently available on Teespring, and 100 percent of the profits will go to the Partners in Health organization, with Leto matching all money raised.

100% of profits of this tee will be donated to @PIH and I’m matching all monies raised🙏🏼 https://t.co/GCQUCRpAjH pic.twitter.com/WeeSaPpylk

— JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) April 3, 2020

Emo heroes Thursday and Taking Back Sunday have put out exclusive merchandise drops, including branded face masks, stay-at-home activities like puzzles, and exclusive T-shirts to raise money for charity.

Last week we announced that we had started the process of turning appropriate stock merchandise into fabric face masks for frontline medical workers and essential personnel and said that further information about how you can all help would follow later in the week. pic.twitter.com/2wpFgpALpz

— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) April 7, 2020

All new items will be sold based on pre-orders for a period of 10 days before we manufacture and send to you. If we don’t reach a minimum order requirement on a specific item then we will simply issue refunds! pic.twitter.com/cLo2e9w2sH

— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) April 7, 2020

Inspired by our friends in @thursdayband we have turned all profits from this merch item into funds to purchase masks to donate to medical workers. $10 shirts, until they sell out. https://t.co/YmEjnhHhEr pic.twitter.com/HB8VeL2sUU

— Taking Back Sunday (@TBSOfficial) April 7, 2020

Ohio Metalcore band Beartooth posted a “stay at home” merchandise bundle.

The bundle includes a “mystery hoodie,” a fleece blanket, a deck of cards, a bottle opener and tote bag. The band posted the bundle on Twitter a week ago, and Kerrang reported that it's already sold out.

We’re doing our part in staying home and so should you! We’re also thrilled to be releasing a limited run of “Stay at Home” Merch Bundles where we’ll be donating the proceeds to the @MusiCares #COVID19 Relief Fund. Seriously, STAY HOME!

🛍: https://t.co/Y4libJNtmK pic.twitter.com/sY9jntj0ny

— Beartooth (@BEARTOOTHband) March 31, 2020

On the softer end of the rock n’ roll spectrum, former One Directioner Harry Styles released a T-shirt design with a pretty succinct and non-self-advertising message: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Protect Each Other.

All profits from the $26 T-shirt will go toward the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Fund.

“In times like these, it is more important than ever to remember the power of people,” Styles said, according to WWD. “If you are able to help, please donate where you can.”