Billie Eilish can add one more accolade to her long list of accomplishments: the all-new Fender Billie Eilish Signature Ukulele, her first artist signature model with the iconic instrument maker.
In the accompanying video, Eilish recalls writing her first song on a ukulele when she was six years old. The song features the refrain “what a wonderful life” and celebrates the joy of playing outside. The Grammy-winning artist serenades her adopted Pitbull puppy Shark as she performs snippets of the song on her ukulele.
"The ukulele was the first instrument I learned,” Eilish says in the video. “It’s where I started writing, and where I found new ways of writing that I had never tried before. The ukulele brings a different feeling to every setting. It inspires a different kind of writing. Different instruments make me write differently. If you know three chords on the ukulele, you know every song. It’s so simple.”
Eilish worked directly with Fender on the ukulele, which retails for $299. A stage-ready instrument with a striking stylish look, features include black matte finish with Eilish’s “blohsh™” symbol patterned across the ukulele, walnut fingerboard, white dot inlays and nickel hardware. A Fishman® Kula preamp powers the uke for live sound performances.
To commemorate the release and in recognition of her connection to the ukulele, Eilish and Fender have made a gift to the Aloha Mele Fund, a newly-established fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation. The funding will be distributed to nonprofit organizations who are working to support coronavirus relief efforts for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Hawaii. Fans are invited to donate to this effort in any amount their situation allows by visiting https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/alohamelefund.
The launch of Eilish’s signature ukulele coincides with the recent addition of six of her songs (for guitar and uke only) to Fender Play, the complete online learning app for guitar, bass and ukulele. Fans around the world can start their musical journey and play their very own Billie Eilish ukulele while learning her songs, including “&burn,” “my strange addiction,” “ocean eyes,” “Six Feet Under”, “watch” and “when the party’s over.” Eilish has been a big advocate for mental health and awareness and recently, according to Fender, Play users have shared they are also utilizing the app as a way to destress, reduce anxiety.
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For more info, visit Fender here.
