As NFTs continue to make their mark on the music industry, NFT bands are shaping up to be the next emerging trend in the space. Last month, Universal Music Group’s Web3 label 10:22PM announced the formation of a new metaverse music group, KINGSHIP, whose members are four characters from the well-known Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection and who will release new music, NFTs, and experiences in the metaverse.
Now, music producer and songwriter Poo Bear, who is known for cowriting many of Justin Bieber’s hit songs, has announced that he is teaming up with NFT production company D.O.M. to create a new NFT music group called Ursa Major. The group is touted as “first-ever virtual band in the NFT space with all original characters.”
The characters, four bears from faraway worlds in “Bear Space,” were created specifically for this project by D.O.M. Ursa Major’s group members include a lead singer, drummer, guitarist, and DJ. They will also be releasing original music — the universal language — which will be written and produced by Poo Bear, with the first release being sold exclusively through NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway.
"The Nifty Gateway team is incredibly excited to partner with Ursa Major on its first NFT release," said Tommy Kimmelman, producer at Nifty Gateway, in a statement. "We embrace collections that strive for innovation and Ursa Major's unique blend of music and visual art accomplishes just that."
The lead singer, Captain Staynard Othelos, had this to say to fans in a statement announcing the group’s formation and upcoming release: “My friends - Detty, Tun-Tun, and FuzzEE WuzzEE - and I have left our home planets to play music for your kind and learn more about your planet and the non-bear species that inhabit it. We are thrilled to learn more about the planet Earth and live amongst the humans and share our music with you.”