Bluegrass artist Rebecca Frazier releases passionate cover of Madonna’s “Borderline”

Rebecca Frazier, a bluegrass guitarist and singer-songwriter, has released a stirring cover of Madonna's “Borderline,” a tribute to the iconic artist who left a lasting impression on her youth. Frazier remembers listening to Madonna's music as a child and being deeply influenced by her message of self-empowerment.

“I remember hearing this song on the car radio when I was a little kid.”, Frazier recalls. “Madonna made a big impression on me and many young girls; she was a symbol of self-empowerment.”

Frazier's rendition of “Borderline” is the fourth single from her upcoming album. Enter the window in paradisewill be released on September 13, 2024 on Compass Records. The album was recorded in Virginia with the Charlottesville-based band Love Canon, known for turning 1980s hits into bluegrass songs. The collaboration includes Jay Starling on dobro, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Adam Larrabee on banjo, Darrell Muller on bass, Andy Thacker on mandolin and Jesse Harper on guitar. Harmony vocals are provided by Shelby Means, Adam Chaffins and Andrea Zonn.

“I've been a fan of Love Canon for a decade and was thrilled when they agreed to record this song with me.”, says Frazier. “It was a pleasure to work out arrangement ideas with them.”

The arrangement includes a smooth transition into a reel that showcases the complex patterns of each instrument before returning to the original tempo for the finale. Written by Reggie Lucas, the song expresses the singer's frustration with a lover who won't “stop playing with my heart” and was featured on Madonna's debut album. The song's music video, directed by Mary Lambert, became a hit on MTV.

In addition to “Borderline” and previously released singles such as “High Country Road Trip”, “Make Hay (While the Moon Shines)” and “Available”, the album includes other tracks written or co-written by Frazier as well as her take on the traditional “Saro Jane” and a rendition of Roy Orbison's “It's Over”.

A well-known figure in bluegrass music, Frazier gained recognition when she became the first woman to appear on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. In 2018 and 2019, she was nominated for the Female Guitarist of the Year award by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. Frazier is also known for her work with Colorado-based band Hit & Run, the only group to take the bluegrass triple crown by earning victories in the band competitions at the Rockygrass, Telluride and SPBGMA festivals.

Tour dates

30-31 August – Four Corners Folk Festival, Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
September 10 – Station Inn, Nashville, Tennessee.
September 20 – Deer Creek Coffeehouse, Darlington, Maryland.
September 21 – Berlin Fiddlers Convention, Berlin, Maryland.
21-22 September – Maryland Folk Festival, Salisbury, Maryland.
Oct. 9 – The Spot on Kirk, Roanoke, Va.
Oct. 10 – The Tin Pan, Richmond, Va.
October 11 – Easy Wind Farm, Burgess, Va.
October 12 – Avalon Theater, Easton, Maryland.
Oct. 13 – The Purple Fiddle, Thomas, W.Va.
Oct. 20 – Clubhouse on Highland, Birmingham, Alabama.
October 24 – White Horse Black Mountain, Black Mountain, NC
October 25 – Muddy Creek Café & Listening Room, Winston-Salem, NC
Oct. 26 – The Down Home, Johnson City, Tennessee.
November 7 – Charleston Pour House, Charleston, SC
November 8 – Eddie Owen Presents: Red Clay Music Foundry, Duluth, Georgia.