Sophie Madeleine (born Sophie Ball) is a ukulele player from Brighton.Ukulele Video of the Year: Sophie Madeleine, Jocelyn Mackenzie & Emily Hope Price – Bei Mir Bist Du Schön. Retrieved 3 March 2013. She released three solo albums; her third album, Silent Cynic, was released on 1 November 2013 after a crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic.Jennifer Bowen and Allison Scott, "Your week in music: Stream the new Sara Bareilles album before you can buy it" FOX6 News. Retrieved 17 May 2014."New album for 2013!", Pledge Music, 8 October 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2014.

Career Madeleine graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Commercial Music and a master's degree in Songwriting. While at Bath Spa, she was in the band Oriole.

She wrote her first ukulele song, "Take Your Love With Me," for her then-boyfriend who had bought her that first ukulele. She also plays tenor guitar. She produced her first album as a final year project at Bath Spa. A song from her first album, "You Are My Favourite," was released as a charity single to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of her father Ben, with a video featuring people from around the world who filmed themselves playing the song.

Her second album, The Rhythm You Started, was self-produced at home, and then mixed by Danton Supple. It was released online in 2010. For 30 days in 2011 before the "official" CD release, Madeleine released a video every day of her performing a different cover song, including such disparate songs as "Pure Imagination" and "Pumped Up Kicks."

While living in Bath, she met Hannah Rockcliffe (Hannah-Rei) with whom she formed the comedy-song duo Rocky and Balls, posting videos together on YouTube and recording one album in 2011.

Her third solo album was recorded in a studio in Brooklyn, the first to be entirely studio-based, which she described as "one of the most stressful experiences of my life". She published The Official Sophie Madeleine Ukulele Tab Book in 2013.

She became a copywriter at a Brighton-based advertising company in late 2014.

In 2015 she announced her retirement from music.

Performances She supported Gruff Rhys, the lead singer of Super Furry Animals, on tour.Sophie Madeleine's Xtra Mile Artist Details . Retrieved 3 March 2013. In 2010, she performed at FestiFeel! along with Newton Faulkner and Babyhead to raise awareness of breast cancerVirtual Festivals, 'Newton Faulker, Babyhead to headline FestiFeel!' . Retrieved 6 March 2013. and she performed at The Great Escape Festival's launch."The Great Escape Pre-Party", XYZ magazine, May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2014.

Reception Madeleine's success on YouTube has led to her being called an "internet sensation".BBM, 'Single Review: Sophie Madeleine Ball – Spooky' . Retrieved 6 March 2013. Her music is covered by other artists so often that Finger magazine crowned her "Queen of the Ukulele".Sophie Madeleine interview, Finger magazine, no date. Retrieved 17 May 2014. She has over four million views on her YouTube channel.

Frank Turner is a fan of Madeleine's and has played her single "Oil and Gold" on his Steve Lamacq's BBC Radio 2 show.BBC Radio 2 – Steve Lamacq – 04/06/2011. Retrieved 3 March 2013. Brighton Source wrote that Madeleine's second album, The Rhythm You Started, is "a ray of sunshine every time we press play".James Kendall, "Sophie Madeleine Interview", Brighton Source, no date. Retrieved 17 May 2014. The magazine Computer Music ran a full-page feature on Madeleine in its 2010 "How To Make It in Music" February special.Computer Music, "How To Make It in Music", (Future plc, February 2010)

Internationally On 8 July 2010 "Take Your Love With Me (The Ukulele Song)" reached number 4 on iTunes' New Zealand Singer-Songwriter Music Chart.Sophie Madeleine's Chart History . Retrieved 5 March 2013. In 2012, Madeleine was interviewed on a Portuguese television documentary about ukuleles called Apanhei-te cavaquinho, for RTP2, where she also performed her song "Take Your Love With Me (The Ukulele Song)"."4th part of the documentary 'Apanhei-te cavaquinho' – YouTube video" (Madeleine appears between 52.32 – 54.37). Retrieved 5 March 2013. Madeleine appeared on MTV Brasil in a short feature dedicated to her career.Sophie Madaleine on MTV Brasil. Retrieved 5 March 2013.

Soundtracks Her songs have been used on the soundtracks of several TV advertisements, notably on adverts for Postbank (You Make Me Happy),February Postbank Advert. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Pets at Home (You Make Me Happy),Pets at Home Advert. Retrieved 4 March 2013. Macy's (Take Your Love With Me)Macys Tahiti Advert. Retrieved 4 March 2013. and A1 Telekom Austria (One Fine Day).A1 TeleKom Advert. Retrieved 17 March 2014 Her music has also been used on the soundtrack for the BBC programme The Great British Home Movie Roadshow in a segment featuring Spike Milligan.The Great British Home Movie Roadshow – August 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

In 2025, Madeleine's cover of "Bring Me Sunshine" was featured in the DCU's Superman reboot.

Discography

Albums Love. Life. Ukulele (Xtra Mile Recordings, 2009)Love. Life. Ukulele, iTunes. Retrieved 5 March 2013. We Like Cake And Beards And Stuff – Rocky and Balls (self-released, May 2011) The Rhythm You Started (Xtra Mile Recordings, 2011)The Rhythm You Started, iTunes. Retrieved 5 March 2013. Silent Cynic (2013)

References

External links