Bluegrass Artist Rebecca Frazier Releases Impassioned Cover of Madonna’s ‘Borderline’

Rebecca Frazier, a bluegrass guitarist and singer-songwriter, has released a stirring cover of Madonna’s “Borderline,” paying homage to the iconic artist who left a lasting impression on her youth. Frazier recalls hearing 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 huge impression on me and lots of young girls; she was a symbol of self-power.”

Frazier’s rendition of “Borderline” is the fourth single from her upcoming album, Boarding Windows in Paradise, set for release on September 13, 2024, by Compass Records. The album was recorded in Virginia with the Charlottesville-based band Love Canon, known for transforming 1980s hits into bluegrass tunes. The collaboration features 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 Love Canon fan for a decade now, and I was thrilled when they agreed to cut this song with me,” says Frazier. “It was a delight to hash out arrangement ideas with them.”

The arrangement includes a smooth transition into a reel, showcasing each instrument’s complex patterns before returning to the original tempo for the finale. The song, written by Reggie Lucas, 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.

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

Frazier, a notable figure in bluegrass music, gained recognition as the first woman to appear on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. In 2018 and 2019, she was nominated for the Guitar Performer of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. Frazier is also known for her work with the Colorado-based band Hit & Run, the only group to win the bluegrass-world trifecta by securing victories at the Rockygrass, Telluride, and SPBGMA festival band competitions.

Tour dates

Aug. 30-31 – Four Corners Folk Festival, Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Sept. 10 – Station Inn, Nashville, Tenn.
Sept. 20 – Deer Creek Coffeehouse, Darlington, Md.
Sept. 21 – Berlin Fiddlers Convention, Berlin, Md.
Sept. 21-22 – Maryland Folk Festival, Salisbury, Md.
Oct. 9 – The Spot on Kirk, Roanoke, Va.
Oct. 10 – The Tin Pan, Richmond, Va.
Oct. 11 – Easy Wind Farm, Burgess, Va.
Oct. 12 – Avalon Theatre, Easton, Md.
Oct. 13 – The Purple Fiddle, Thomas, W.Va.
Oct. 20 – Clubhouse on Highland, Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 24 – White Horse Black Mountain, Black Mountain, N.C.
Oct. 25 – Muddy Creek Café & Listening Room, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Oct. 26 – The Down Home, Johnson City, Tenn.
Nov. 7 – Charleston Pour House, Charleston, S.C.
Nov. 8 – Eddie Owen Presents: Red Clay Music Foundry, Duluth, Ga.