Following high school, I served in the Navy, Army, and Army Reserve for a total of 15 years. After my military service, I focused on refining my vocals and songwriting skills. Upon returning to Wisconsin after 30 years, I engaged a vocal instructor who helped me achieve professional vocal status within five years. When I began my new recording journey in Nashville Tennessee, I was fortunate to collaborate with the worlds best talent.\u000f\u000fThe team included:\u000fMain vocals: Paul Hager\u000fBackground vocals: Tania Hanceroff who Currently sings at the Grand Ole Opry and has worked with Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire, Toby Kieth\u000fPlayers: (Mark Becket) who currently is the house drummer at the Grand Ole Opry. (Chris Leuzinger) who currently plays lead guitar for Garth Brooks. (Michael Rinne) who has played base guitar for Willie Nelson, Ronnie Milsap and many others. (Pat Mcgrath) who has played acoustic for Allison Krass, Randy Owen. (Andy Ellison) who has played steel guitar for Capital Records, John Pardi. (Billy Nobel) who has played keyboard for Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, CMT. Electronic\u000f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7 Song Ratings from #1 Radio Promotion Company Loggins Promotion: \u000fSONG REVIEW:\u000fBorderline\u000fOverall Impression\u000f”Crafting a good cover is an art form in itself. It’s a delicate balancing act where elements of the source material must not only be retained, but respected, and a clear level of distinction must be cultivated to warrant the need for a cover in the first places. I’m happy to say Paul Hager\u2019s country reinvention of Madonna\u2019s \u201cBorderline\u201d is exactly how you do it! What was once pop gloss becomes something earthier, dustier, and deeply human.”\u000f\u000fPaul doesn\u2019t just cover the song; he inhabits it, reshaping the originals DNA while preserving the melodic bones that made the original iconic. It\u2019s a transformation that feels both reverent and boldly personal, the kind of artistic balancing act that\u2019s far harder than it sounds\u2014and here, it\u2019s pulled off with effortless poise. It feels familiar enough to stir nostalgia, but fresh enough to be rediscovered. It honors the original while revealing new colors, textures, and stories within it\u2014proof that, sometimes, crossing the borderline between genres brings a song not to a different place, but home.\u000f\u000fStrongest Point(s) A huge part of this success lies in the exceptional performances threaded throughout the track. Paul\u2019s own vocal presence is warm, charming, and confident, imbued with the kind of gently rugged sincerity that country storytellers are known for. His phrasing doesn\u2019t mimic Madonna\u2019s delivery; instead, he leans into a more grounded register, letting the song breathe in a way that the country genre is known for. That charisma is met by the excellence of the session players he\u2019s brought into the fold. Background vocalist Tania Hanceroff adds a silken glow that lifts the choruses with precision and ease, while guitarist Chris Leuzinger brings tasteful licks and understated firepower. The rhythmic foundation, held down by Michael Rinne has that seasoned steadiness only top-tier players can offer. These musicians (along with a few more high calibre session giants) whose r\u00e9sum\u00e9s include work with towering figures like Carrie Underwood, Willie Nelson, and Garth Brooks, lend the track an unmistakable pedigree.\u000f\u000fTogether, they form a band that feels less like hired hands and more like a fully developed group, one that boasts a striking amount of chemistry. The arrangement is also excellent. It\u2019s a masterclass in deft layering: warm acoustic strums, honeyed pedal-steel sighs, tasteful electric lines, and texture-filling backing vocals. Each layer contributes a small melodic charm of its own, creating a dynamic sound that remains breezy rather than crowded. The country textures never feel pasted on; instead, they settle into the song like they belonged there all along. That sense of naturalness\u2014of sonic warmth radiating from every bar\u2014gives the cover its heart. And then there\u2019s the production and mix, which strike a rare balance: polished yet never sterile.\u000f\u000fEvery instrument retains its timbral character\u2014the woody resonance of the acoustic, the brushed velvet of the background vocals, the rounded thump of the bass. The track feels like it was captured in a room where people were smiling, listening, and reacting to each other in real time. It\u2019s clean, but never clinical; detailed, but never over-processed. The warmth isn\u2019t just tonal\u2014it\u2019s emotional. Target Audience Appeal Lovers of country will undoubtedly appreciate this lovingly crafted cover. Artist target suggestions Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Loretta Lynn Vocals: Strength Lyrics: Strength Instrumental Performance\/Execution: Strength Melody\/Rhythm: Strength Arrangement\/Flow: Strength Recording Quality\/Overall Mix: Strength\u000f\u000fSONG REVIEW:\u000fOnly God Knows\u000fOverall Impression\u000f”Country singer\/songwriter Paul Hager paints a picture of a relationship in its twilight hour, on his release of \u201cOnly God Knows\u201d.\u000f\u000fBacked by top shelf Nashville studio musicians, Hager delivers emotional lyrics in his distinctively expressive baritone, while guest vocalist Tania Hanceroff provides gorgeous harmonies that elevate this ballad of uncertainty to lofty new heights. Thoughtful and sensitive songwriting, along with a sleek contemporary sound, make Paul Hager\u2019s \u201cOnly God Knows\u201d an easy listening recommendation for both country and country-pop fans alike. Strongest Point(s) Outstanding production, great sounding mix. Nice contemporary country instrumentation and style that should have crossover appeal. Excellent song structure and arrangement. Band sounds amazing, across the board. I really like the vocal duet aspect, particularly given the subject matter. She does a phenomenal job as well. Your vocal performance is strong, with a great charismatic delivery style that will keep listeners engaged. Lyrics are raw and emotionally honest, contrasting the past, present, and future with a divine uncertainty. Really heartbreaking stuff, should resonate strongly with country-pop audiences. All in all, this is a fantastic bit of song craft and a great sounding contemporary country track. Very nice work, by everyone involved!\u000f\u000fTarget Audience Appeal Fans of Country, Contemporary Country, Country-Pop Artist target suggestions Brothers Osborne, Eric Church, Jon Pardi, Sam Hunt, Big & Rich, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Walker Hayes, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan About The Reviewer Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring\/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent within the next generation of musical Vocals: Strength Lyrics: Strength Instrumental Performance\/Execution: Strength Melody\/Rhythm: Strength Arrangement\/Flow: Strength Recording Quality\/Overall Mix: Strength<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Following high school, I served in the Navy, Army, and Army Reserve for a total of 15 years. After my military service, I focused on refining my vocals and songwriting skills. Upon returning to Wisconsin after 30 years, I engaged a vocal instructor who helped me achieve professional vocal status within five years. When I … Continue reading “Paul Hager – Borderline”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2868"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2869,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868\/revisions\/2869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zfmcountry.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}