The Flaming Lips has never been short on innovation. With giant hamster-ball crowd-surfing, edible jelly-fetus EP releases, and an album of four discs to be played simultaneously, it’s only fair that the band passes the torch of creativity to its fans on this one occasion.
It’s been announced that the Lips’ label, Warner Bros. Records, is partnering with crowd-sourced T-shirt company Threadless to create design challenges based on the music of a selected artist. The Flaming Lips is the first to kick off the collaboration, with a contest that started on May 13 and that continues through June 3. Between June 3 to June 10, fans can vote on which designs should be realized, and the top prize is a slew of Lips-related and non-Lips-related loot, including tickets to an upcoming North American Flaming Lips show, a Record Store Day exclusive release of Zaireeka, a $500 Threadless gift certificate, and $5,000 in cash.
To top off the deal, Threadless and the band, which is from Oklahoma, are committing $10 of each T-shirt sale as a donation to the American Red Cross to benefit those affected by the tornado that recently ravaged Moore, Oklahoma.
Check out the competition rules and submitted designs, and/or submit your own design at Threadless. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can even pre-order the winning design before it’s chosen here.