When Shirley Manson of the band Garbage visited Graceland on her first United States tour, she had a special souvenir in mind.
"I wanted Elvis Presley toilet paper," she said over the telephone with a laugh. "I went to the gift shop and scoured the whole place, and I couldn't find any. I was gutted."
Though she left empty-handed, visions of novelty toilet paper never stopped dancing in her head.
During the holidays in 2019, Manson placed a roll of US President Donald Trump-patterned toilet paper in her guest bathroom. "Every time anybody went in, you could hear hoots of laughter," she said.
In March last year, Manson wanted to recreate that feeling of unexpected humour for her fans.
With her plans for the year scrapped - Garbage had been set to join Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill anniversary tour - she met the new merchandising team she had recently contracted to rethink the band's offerings.
One item had to make the cut: toilet paper imprinted with the band members' faces on every sheet. Manhead Merch executive Samantha Ray said: "We were all so deep in the pandemic and Shirley thought, 'Let's just have some fun.'"
After a 90-day turnaround, the US$12 (S$16) toilet paper rolls started flying off virtual shelves, mere months after shoppers had scrambled to find toilet paper in local bodegas and grocery stores.
With this move, Garbage joined other musicians, including Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, in pivoting from tour T-shirts to tchotchkes, selling fans at-home comforts to help them slog through the pandemic.
Cosy items like blankets, candles, sweatsuits, pyjamas, socks and puzzles have popped up for sale by pop stars such as Megan Thee Stallion and Shawn Mendes.
Katy Perry is hawking daisy-print onesies. Lady Gaga sells a "Chromatica" bar soap. Drake's Carby Musk candle "actually smells like Drake", according to the retailer.
"I think this year has shown everyone how far a little self-care can go," said country singer Kacey Musgraves, whose Slow Burn candle (named after a song from her Golden Hour album), created with candle and underwear company Boy Smells, has sold out several times since February last year.
Ms Kelly Jarrell, who works for Musgraves' management company, Sandbox Entertainment, said: "After we all entered lockdown, Kacey was like, 'This is what I would like. What would make me feel better? What would be fun? What would be creative?'"
The result was a US$100 self-care bundle containing a bath bomb, puzzle, socks and a tie-dye kit.
"Our homes have all had to become our sanctuaries. A little thing like a scent or a bath can make a real difference," Musgraves said over the telephone.
In the absence of touring, merchandise has helped artistes stay afloat financially and given many the option to communicate with supporters who have stuck by them for years.
"I used to approve merch like it was a by-product of my art," singer-songwriter Liz Phair, who worked with Manhead on a series of album cover puzzles during lockdown, said via e-mail. "The pandemic made me realise it is a powerful, tangible connection with fans in and of itself.
"We've been engaging in nostalgia, looking back wistfully at the life we took for granted, pre-pandemic. It helps to have reminders of what you care about surrounding you.
"Band T-shirts have always been touchstones - objects that have emotional value beyond their aesthetic appeal. That's so important now. I want to make merch people hold on to for years to come."
Strong merchandise sales have allowed successful musicians to give back, even during a period when their main source of income - touring - has all but dried up.
On Garbage's online store, a percentage of every sale goes to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a group that champions racial justice and an initiative dear to Manson's heart.
And merchandise sales have allowed Musgraves to keep her entire band and crew on the payroll. "I think it's important for people to know that when you are buying merch from an artiste, you're putting money directly into his or her pocket," she said.
NYTIMES
