MATCHBOX TWENTY ANNOUNCE 1-OF-1 NFT
BAND’S FIRST EVER NON-FUNGIBLE TOKEN EXPERIENCE TITLED “UNWELL” DROPS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 VIA OPENSEA.IO WITH ALL PROCEEDS BENEFITTING RADICAL HOPE & THE TREVOR PROJECT
Multi-platinum, superstar hit making pop-rockers Matchbox Twenty have announced the release of their first NFT – a unique, multimedia, non-fungible token experience titled “UNWELL.” All proceeds from the auction will benefit RADical Hope, a nonprofit committed to addressing America’s youth mental health crisis by building resilience in young lives, and The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth. The “UNWELL” multimedia NFT drop will take place on Thursday, April 1st @ 8:20 pm EST (20:20 UTC) via OpenSea.io. There will also be a simultaneous live conversation on Clubhouse with Rob Thomas, Liz Feld (RADical Hope) and other special guests, hosted by Jin Woo Yu aka WOLF x LION in the TALK NERDY TO ME club. The auction will run through Monday, April 5th @ 8:20pm EST. To participate in the “UNWELL” auction, please follow @matchboxtwenty on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.
The “UNWELL” multimedia NFT includes:
- Non-commercial licensing rights to the “UNWELL” 1 of 1 multimedia experience
- Non-commercial licensing rights to high-res digital images of the two original lyrics sheets
The physical Rob Thomas-signed proof of NFT as seen at the end of the “UNWELL” NFT will be framed and mailed to the original buyer
Never before have Rob Thomas’ words been more meaningful than today. Thanks to the recently released hit “Used To Be” by Steve Aoki & Kiiara (featuring Wiz Khalifa), a new generation is now hearing Rob’s lyrics for the first time. The underlying poignant message of “Unwell” serves as the backdrop of this new single and inspired the band to look at the origins of their song.
“Today, with social media, the message behind ‘Unwell’ is more prevalent than it’s ever been.” said Rob Thomas. “This reimagination of the song updates that message that everybody you’re looking at feels just as weird as you feel. Nobody feels comfortable in their own skin.”
“With this gift, Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty will help make the world well again for countless young people struggling with the everyday demons of modern life,” said Liz Feld, CEO, RADical Hope. “Sharing feelings of isolation and loneliness — in lyrics and conversation — is powerful medicine to those feeling profoundly powerless. For nearly twenty years, people have identified with ‘Unwell’, and the gift of its 1 of 1 NFT to RADical Hope will help reach so many more. The intersection of music, philanthropy and real, lived experiences of millions of young adults who struggle makes this gift especially unique.”
Matchbox Twenty partnered with disruptive creative agency and technology company DFND Inc. to deliver this truly one-of-a-kind NFT. “Conceptually, we wanted to capture the re-emergence of these poignant, hand-written lyrics, bring them to life through technology and then visibly certify the piece with Rob’s signature, all while staying true to the authenticity of Matchbox Twenty,” explained Craig Amazeen CEO/Founder of DFND.
About Matchbox Twenty:
Matchbox Twenty is Kyle Cook, Paul Doucette, Rob Thomas and Brian Yale. The group has sold over 40 million records worldwide, and earned multiple chart-topping singles, countless accolades, including five GRAMMY® nominations, four American Music Award nods, and a People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Musical Group.”
Fueled by such classic songs as “Real World,” “Back 2 Good” and the No. 1 smash hits “Push” and “3AM,” the RIAA Diamond-certified Yourself or Someone Like You proved a worldwide sensation and instantly established Matchbox as global superstars. The next release, the four-times Platinum Mad Season, containing the No. 1 singles “Bent” and “If You’re Gone.” Matchbox’s third release, More Than You Think You Are, also was certified Platinum and featured the No. 1 hit, “Unwell.” The greatest hits compilation album with six new songs, Exile On Mainstream yielded yet another No. 1 track, “How Far We’ve Come,” while the band’s most recent album, North, exploded into the top position on the Billboard 200 – Matchbox Twenty’s first-ever chart-topper and No. 1 debut.
About RADical Hope:
RADical Hope is committed to addressing America’s youth mental health crisis by building resilience in young lives. The Foundation works with proven, frontline engagement programs that deliver on its core priorities: connectivity, empowerment, emotional regulation, and engagement. It was established in 2018 by Pam and Phil Martin in honor of their son, Chris, who died by suicide in the Fall of 2017 during his junior year of college.
About The Trevor Project:
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide.
About DFND (NFT Strategist / Visual Artist):
Founded and led by award-winning producer Craig Amazeen, DFND is a disruptive, creative agency and technology company dedicated to amplifying a healthy fandom experience for athletes, influencers and icons through immersive experiences, gamified systems, hater-free social architecture and digital collectibles (yes…NFTs).
