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Featured Interview | Samantha Fish

Kansas City native Samantha Fish has been at it now for 10 years and is taking her place alongside notable players of both genders as she blazes her away across the country wowing audiences everywhere with her diverse blend of low-down Blues, Blues rock and self-penned Blues ballads.

“I come from a musical family,” Samantha says. “We listened to music all the time around my house. I started off playing the drums. That’s where my schooling started. When I was 15 I switched to the guitar. My dad played the guitar with his friends at our house. They threw a lot of music at me when I was a kid. That’s where it all started. I always thought it was impossible (to learn to play). I was fascinated by how players could play and sing at the same time. I fell in love with it.”

After spending her early years sneaking in to catch the touring Blues artists who played at the world-famous Blues joint, Knuckleheads Saloon, in Kansas City, Mo. Samantha turned 18 and could get in on the legit. She made friends with the locals and could be found often sitting in with whoever was performing on a given night. It wasn’t long before music…Blues music, became her obsession.

“My parents were a little skeptical about it all at first,” Samantha admits. “They would prefer I had a Plan B, something to fall back on in case the music didn’t work out. I just didn’t have a Plan B. I really didn’t have a Plan A. A lot of people don’t know how to take their playing from a hobby to a business. That’s the scary part.

“I used to listen to the radio every morning before school,” she says. “We had it on the classic rock station. Lots of Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Tom Petty was my parents’ favorite. When I heard Stevie I said ‘I wanna do that.’ One time I was stuck in Florida in a hotel for two weeks while it was pouring rain. All I had was a DVD of Stevie Ray on Austin City Limits. No guitars, so I watched it over and over. I was fascinated by the power trio. I had never seen anything like that before. That’s where I got the idea for a power trio. Stevie Ray was like a gateway drug.”

Samantha downplays any talk of competition between the Blues ladies on the tour. She said she had the future on her mind when she signed with Ruf and agreed to the tour.

“I don’t get that whole competitive thing, especially when I play with the girls,” Samantha says. “We’re different guitar players trying to do our own thing. We enjoy playing together and want it to sound good. I thought since the Blues Caravan is an established tour, I could play these shows and debut myself on their label to help build up an audience. Then if and when I came back with my own band it would be a lot easier. It was fun. We had a lot of good times on the road.”

Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow were some of Samantha’s earliest influences before she discovered the Blues.

“I went to one of his (Urban’s) concerts when I was 17 and that’s when I decided I wanted to learn how to play lead,” Samantha says. “I’m influenced by different styles. My dad took me to a Sheryl Crow show. It was my first concert and I was like ‘Why would I want to go see her?’ She blew me away. She is such a strong woman. Not only does she sing and play but she writes her own music. It’s not all about shredding on stage or vocal gymnastics. I want to be known as a singer/songwriter as well as a guitarist. Bonnie Raitt is another influence. I love the Blues women like Aretha (Franklin) and Etta (James). After listening to Stevie Ray I started doing my homework and going back to the Delta to find out more about the players and where these fantastic songs came from. Skip James, Son House. Those guys. Now, I’m into guys like Mike Zito, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Tommy Castro, and Tab Benoit. These guys have all been very supportive and helpful to me.”

Samantha is well aware of the scrutiny she must endure as a female Blues guitarist in a male-dominated genre.

After touring Europe with the Samantha Fish Band and being invited to play on Tommy Castro’s Rhythm & Blues Cruise, the United States is wide open territory for the band.

“We’re still excited to play new places and there are lots of places we haven’t been,” Samantha says. “We are playing Phoenix this week and are really looking forward to that. We’ve never played there before. We’re still young enough that touring hasn’t become drudgery. I haven’t become jaded or cynical…well maybe a little cynical but we’re going to make the most of things and take them as they come.

“We love doing the festivals,” she says. “Just looking out there and seeing the sea of faces is inspiring. But then there’s something about being in a packed club with no room to move that can be just as much fun. We like to play anywhere they’ll have us.”

“We” is the new Samantha Fish Band consisting of Sam on guitar, Go-Go Ray on drums and Chris Alexander on bass. She speaks highly of the guys.

“We’ve really got a hot trio now. I’ve got Go-Go Ray on the drums,” Samantha says. “He won the 2010 Roland Championship in Las Vegas, which is huge for drummers. He’s just a monster. Then I’ve got Chris Alexander on bass who came to us through Mike Zito. Mike used to pay with Chris down in Austin! It’s just been so much fun.”

On stage Samantha can sometimes be seen playing a cigar-box four-string rig she says adds variety to the show.

Samantha’s latest album, Black Wind Howlin’ features a stellar lineup of artists who bring many years’ experience to the project. Samantha says she is particularly grateful to the help she gets from mentor Mike Zito.

“This was a fantastic bunch of guys to work with,” she says. “Yonrico Scott on drums. Jumpin’ Johnny Sansome on harmonica, Mike (Zito) on guitar. Then we had Paul Thorn, who is not a Blues musician. His music can be classified as more Americana than anything else. He’s been on something like 1,100 sessions. He was just great. It (the record) had nothing to do with gender. They treated me like a musician, not a girl. I feel lucky to have been able to work with those guys.”

To further enhance Samantha Fish’s image and exposure, she won a 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist after her releasing Runaway her solo debut album on Ruf Records. This record was also done with her collaborator and mentor Mike Zito.

“It was very unexpected,” Samantha says. “It’s a very cool feeling. I never expected that kind of recognition this early in my career.”

Being one so young, Samantha says all big shows and new places can go down in her book as highlights but she mentions meeting the great John Hiatt as one of her most memorable encounters.

“We opened for him one night,” she says. “He was just so nice to me. His music covers all genres, not just Blues. The next time I was him he actually remembered my name. I was blown away.”

Optimism about the future of the Blues from a player who is still experiencing the trials and tribulations of being a career musician is encouraging.

“As long as it keeps going it keeps inventing itself,” Samantha says. “It’s never going to be what it was in the early days. It’s still an important time everywhere (for the Blues). Guys like The Black Keys, and Jack White are keeping it alive with their music. It’s all about being relevant.”

Indeed it is.

Visit Samantha’s website at: www.samanthafish.com

Photos by Bob Kieser © 2014 Blues Blast Magazine

SAMANTHA FISH RELEASES LIVE TAKES OF FAN FAVORITES AHEAD OF FULL FALL TOUR

Article contributed by devious planet | published on friday, september 13, 2024.

Samantha Fish is unstoppable in 2024, unveiling “Crowd Control” (Alternate Version), a dynamic three-song E.P. that reimagines her electrifying tracks "Faster," "Crowd Control," and "Better Be Lonely." Known for her commanding stage presence, Fish amplifies these fan favourites with the raw, untamed energy that defines her. At the core of this release is a bold self-exploration—one of empowerment, vulnerability, and facing inner demons.

Recorded during a live performance video shoot in Nashville, the tracks burst to life with blistering guitar solos, dynamic vocals, and rebellious energy and capture the magnetic stage presence that has become Fish's hallmark. Originally featured on her chart-topping 2021 album Faster, these new renditions breathe fresh life into the originals, with Fish's journey mirroring the theme of empowerment that runs through the collection.

For Fish, live performances are where her music truly comes to life. "Making albums is one of my favourite things to do; it's a chance to reinvent myself and my sound," she says. "But the stage is where we bring the songs to life. I feel I connect the most with my audience from the stage. There's something uniquely special about that energy—raw, unpolished, with no big fixes or edits. It's about what you can do with the moment, and I think capturing that is crucial." With the release of her live tracks, fans can now experience that energy wherever they are, a reminder of the magic she creates on stage.

2024 has been a standout year for Samantha Fish, highlighted by a Grammy nomination alongside collaborator Jesse Dayton for their album Death Wish Blues . The record debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts, holding that spot for three consecutive weeks, marking Fish's fifth chart-topping album. Over the summer, she toured with Slash on his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Tourand opened for The Rolling Stones during the final stop of their North American tour. This fall, she's set to join the Experience Hendrix tour, sharing the stage with blues contemporaries like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. With a relentless work ethic, Fish performs nearly 200 high-energy shows a year, ensuring her unique blend of raw blues continues to captivate ever-growing audiences.

In November, Fish will headline the Ruf Records 30th Anniversary Tour, celebrating the label's legacy and its dedication to shaping the future of blues music. The diverse line-up features Canned Heat, Mitch Ryder, Bernard Allison, and Ghalia Volt, each representing different facets of the blues spectrum. As a leading voice in the genre, Fish's role in the tour cements her status as a trailblazer, keeping blues music vibrant while honouring its rich history. Kicking off on November 7th in Pittsburgh, the tour promises an exciting celebration of the blues for both longtime fans and new listeners.

Samantha Fish has gained widespread recognition gracing the covers of Guitar World and Vintage Guitar and receiving critical acclaim from major publications. The New York Times describes her as "one of the most promising young blues performers working," praising her punchy vocals and energetic guitar work. No Depression lauds her versatility, stating, "Samantha Fish can take you on a journey through country, blow your blues away, or slam you with some raucous rawk." Garden & Gun hails her as "one of the new guitar greats," and Guitarist Magazine agrees that Fish "is a force to be reckoned with."

U.S. BULLETPROOF TOUR Aug 28              Atlantic City, NJ                         Kennedy Plaza Aug 30              Charlottesville, VA                     Jefferson Theatre Aug 31              High Point, NC                          Coltrane Jazz Festival Sept 1               Bremerton, WA                          Kitsap Blues Festival Sept 13-14        Telluride, CO                             Telluride Blues & Brews Fest Sept 19-22        Louisville, KY                             Bourbon & Beyond   EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR Sept 25             Santa Rosa, CA                         Luther Burbank Sept 26             Saratoga, CA                             Mountain Winery Sept 27             Las Vegas, NV                           The Smith Center Sept 28             Highland, CA                             Yaamavo Casino Sept 29             Tucson, AZ                                 Fox Theatre   EUROPE – BULLETPROOF TOUR Oct 4                Birmingham, UK                       Town Hall Oct 5                Brighton, UK                             Chalk Oct 6                London, UK                               Koko Oct 7                Norwich, UK                              Epic Studios Oct 8                Cardiff, UK                                Tramshed Oct 9                Bath, UK                                   Komedia Oct 10              Leeds, UK                                 Project House Oct 11              Nottingham, UK                        Rock City Oct 12              Newcastle, UK                          Boiler Shop Oct 13              Edinburgh, UK                          Queen’s Hall Oct 15              Arnhem, NL                               Luxer Live Oct 16              Groningen, NL                          Oosterport Oct 17              Den Haag, NL                           Paard Oct 18              Enchede, DE                             Metropool Oct 19              Worpswede, DE                        Music Hall Oct 20              Cologne, DE                              Kantine Oct 21              Hamburg, DE                             Fabrik Oct 22              Berlin, DE                                  Hole 44

RUF 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Nov 7             Pittsburgh, PA                        Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead Nov 8             Warren, OH                            Robins Theatre Nov 9             Cincinnati, OH                        Ludlow Garage Nov 10           St Charles, IL                         Arcada Theatre Nov 11           Columbus, OH                        Bluestone Nov 15           Virginia Beach, VA                  Elevation 27 Nov 16           Hopewell, VA                          Beacon Theatre Nov 20           Washington D.C.                    Warner Theatre Nov 21           Glenside, PA                           Keswick Nov 22           Jim Thorpe, PA                       Penn’s Peak Nov 23           New York, NY                         Sony Hall Nov 24           Beverly, MA                            Cabot Theatre

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“A genuine force of sonic prowess with her vocal range, stage presence and six-string exploration” ROLLING STONE

“fish and dayton have managed to create one of the year’s most distinctly unique collaborative albums” forbes, “fish’s star has, indisputably, been on the ascent for several years, albeit mostly in the somewhat cloistered world of the blues.” relix, “a badass, slide-guitar-wielding female from kansas city lobbing some blues wailing rock and roll.” variety, “fish’s talents as a convincing singer and especially a rousingly raw guitarist keep her firmly grounded in the grit and guts that have informed her music.” american songwriter, “samantha fish can take you for a ride in the country, blow your blues away, or body slam you with some raucous rawk from her oil-can guitar.” no depression, “r&b simmer before her guitar starts raining down incendiary parks and her singing turns to a full-on, powerful blues wail” la weekly, “fish is placing some sterling blues guitar work in a framework that takes the genre way out of its comfort zone. the result is exciting, stimulating, and fresh.” american blues scene, “one of the new guitar greats” garden & gun, “samantha fish is a force to be reckoned with.” guitarist magazine, samantha fish & jesse dayton – death wish blues – new album available now.

“T he first-ever collaborative album from Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, Death Wish Blues is a body of work born from a shared passion for pushing the limits of blues music. As one of the most dynamic forces in the blues world today, Fish has made her name as a multi-award-winning festival headliner who captivates crowds with her explosive yet elegant guitar work, delivering an unbridled form of blues-rock that defies all genre boundaries. Dayton, meanwhile, boasts an extraordinary background that includes recording with the likes of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, touring as a guitarist for seminal punk band X, working with Rob Zombie on the soundtracks for his iconic horror films, and releasing a series of acclaimed solo albums. Produced by the legendary Jon Spencer of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Death Wish Blues ultimately melds their eclectic sensibilities into a batch of songs both emotionally potent and wildly combustible. READ MORE…

Death Wish Blues marked the culmination of a musical connection forged in her hometown of Kansas City over a decade ago. “It was always a big deal when Jesse came through town to a play a show—we first met when I was 20, and I kept up with him through the years,” Fish says of the Beaumont, Texas-bred musician. “I’d been wanting to do a collaborative project for a while and went to see Jesse perform in New Orleans, and right away I knew he was the guy. We got together and had this vision of making something of an alt-blues record, but it turned out to be so much more exciting and layered than I ever imagined.” -->

Death Wish Blues took shape at Applehead Recording & Production in Woodstock, a studio situated on a 17-acre farm once home to The Band’s Rick Danko. Over the course of 10 frenetic days, the two musicians joined forces with bassist Kendall Wind, keyboardist Mickey Finn, and drummer Aaron Johnston, cutting most of the album live and unleashing a bold collision of blues, soul, punk, funk, and fantastically greasy rock-and-roll. With Fish and Dayton sharing vocal and guitar duties, the sonic power of each track is exponentially magnified by Spencer’s production work, endlessly tapping into the rule-breaking ingenuity that’s made him a cult hero. “Jon’s indie-rock royalty and he’s always been ahead of the game as far as moving the blues forward,” says Dayton. “For this album we wanted to keep everything blues-based, with a lot of inspiration from people like Albert King and Magic Sam on the lead-guitar parts, but we also wanted to have fun with that and take it somewhere new and different and way outside our wheelhouse.” One of the first songs that Fish and Dayton wrote together, the album-opening “Death Wish” immediately established the free-flowing nature of their collaboration. “Samantha sent me that melody and I went into my writing room and started coming up with some lyrics inspired by all these true-crime documentaries I’d been watching,” Dayton recalls. “It turned into a song about men taking advantage of women, and I knew that Samantha could really chew on those lyrics and sing them with a lot of attitude.” Anchored by a hot-tempered vocal performance from Fish, the result is a prime introduction to  Death Wish Blues ’ incendiary sound, at turns gritty, exhilarating, and indelibly hypnotic. Later, on “Riders,” Fish and Dayton offer up a ferociously groove-heavy track built on their fiery vocal back-and-forth, reaching a majestic frenzy in the song’s final moments. “‘Riders’ is about being musicians and troubadours and having one-night stands with whatever city you happen to be in,” says Fish. “Every city is personified as a love interest or partner, and in the end you just move on to whatever adventure is coming up next.” READ MORE... -->

Samantha Fish – Faster – NEW album available on NOW!

“T oday, Samantha Fish has announced her new album Faster , set for release on September 10, 2021. The album (available for pre-order HERE ) is the follow-up to 2019’s acclaimed Kill or Be Kind , and marks Fish’s first collaboration with producer Martin Kierszenbaum (Lady Gaga, Sting) , who co-wrote eight of the album’s 12 new songs and helped the genre-defying guitarist, singer, and songwriter to refine her sound and strike out into bold new sonic territory.

Alongside the announcement, Fish unveiled the video for “Twisted Ambition,” the first single from the album, out today. Fish notes, “It’s about flipping the power structure, the power dynamic, in your life. The world or a personal figure might be putting you down; it’s about taking control and owning your life and owning the situation.” The delightfully anarchic and cathartic video sees Fish smashing things up – literally and metaphorically -as she asserts, “see me take your crown, don’t need you,” and declares, “twisted ambition, I’m in control.” Watch the video for “Twisted Ambition”  HERE .

“The whole record has a theme of taking charge and taking the reins, in a relationship or in life in general,” explains Fish. “I really thought that after 2020 I’d end up with a really dismal, bleak album, but instead, we came up with something that’s fun and sexy and so empowering.”

Faster  opens on its spellbinding title track, a fiercely stomping number whose vocal hook states her intentions to “make your heart beat faster.” Immediately making good on that promise, she follows it up with “All Ice No Whiskey,” a pop-perfect powerhouse she considers something of a dare. That defiant spirit also infuses “Better Be Lonely,” a fantastically freewheeling track graced with a frenetic guitar solo.

While  Faster  never fails to showcase the gritty vitality of Fish’s musicianship, much of the album journeys into elegantly eclectic sonic terrain. One of  Faster ‘s most vulnerable moments, “Crowd Control” unfolds in delicate beats and shimmering keyboard tones, forming a dreamy backdrop to Fish’s self-reflection.

Featuring a guest spot from rapper/singer/songwriter Tech N9ne (who, like Fish and Kierszenbaum, hails from Kansas City), “Loud” drifts from doo-wop reverie to guitar-fueled frenzy.”He was perfect for ‘Loud,’ which is a song about speaking your truth as loud as you can,” says Fish. And on “Hypnotic,” Fish lays down a mesmerizing piece of R&B-pop, telegraphing unfettered desire in her seductive vocal delivery and lushly textured grooves. The album closes on a poignant note, with the stark and slow-burning ballad called “All the Words.”

Kierszenbaum, who contributed guitar, piano, keyboards, and percussion to the recording in addition to his production duties, enlisted an A-list rhythm section comprising legendary drummer Josh Freese (Guns N’ Roses, Nine Inch Nails, The Replacements) and bassist Diego Navaira of The Last Bandoleros for the session. Hannah Brier contributed backing vocals while GRAMMY-award winners Tony Lake and Robert Orton engineered and mixed, respectively.

For Fish, one of the greatest joys of making music is the powerful exchange of energy at her incendiary live shows. “Anytime I play live, I just want to want to make people forget about everything else in the world and feel that same joy that I feel on stage,” she says. In the process of creating  Faster , Fish experienced a similar exhilaration. “There’s such a transformation that can happen in the studio when you really own that freedom to be creative,” she says. “I feel so charged up in those moments, like I can be whoever I want to be. It’s just me and these incredible musicians trying to make a piece of art that speaks for itself and contributes something new to the world. It’s never hard to feel inspired or empowered when that’s the mission.”

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Samantha Fish Talks Her Role in the Blues

The electric guitar firebrand reveals how “blues always glued everything together” in this classic interview.

Samantha Fish climbs the steps of her 19th-century New Orleans home, shouldering her Arctic White Gibson SG as she retreats from the midday summer sun into a wide parlor. The air is thick with bayou humidity, but as a Kansas City native who spent her first 20-something years weathering winter blizzards, Fish doesn’t seem to mind.

As she finds a spot on her couch, the muted thud of drums sounds through the walls of a recording studio, situated next door in a former church. In New Orleans, music is everywhere.

“You could walk down any street and come up with an idea,” the acclaimed blues guitarist says. “There’s so much music around, and the people are inspiring.”

Fish grew up hearing bluegrass, Americana and hard rock, eventually finding her way to the blues through classic rock and roll. She taught herself the basics on guitar, then picked up licks from records and the jazz and blues guitar players she found in her hometown. She broke out of the Midwest blues scene with a power trio that showcased her fiery guitar playing and inimitable, howling vocals.

“I would pick up things here and there from other guitar players, just little theoretical bits,” Fish says. “A lot of what I do I learned by ear.”

Her early solo records – Runaway , Black Wind Howlin’ and Wild Heart – track her progression from traditional blues-rock to a rawer interpretation of hill country blues. Her slow-burning cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” and faithful rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” became highlights of her live sets and showed her musical range.

After absorbing the swampy Delta blues of the Mississippi, Fish followed the big river to the bottom of the basin, where it all flows together in a gumbo of sounds. Her later albums, Chills & Fever and Belle of the West, both released in 2017 on Ruf Records, expand on her recipe. The brassy and noirish Chills & Fever nods to classic soul and R&B; it was recorded with the Detroit Cobras and a horn section from New Orleans. Belle of the West digs deeper into Americana – with R.L. Burnside and Mississippi Fred McDowell influences – revealing her songwriting chops and ear for haunting melodies.

“What inspired me to start playing is sort of all over the map, and the blues always glued everything together for me,” she explains.

What attracted you to blues music?

I think it was just years of listening to guitar-oriented music and finding that a lot of it was based in blues. When I found Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix – and even the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin – their love of blues music was so evident throughout everything they did, so I started just going backwards. It’s such a passionate, raw, emotive music, and it’s stayed relevant and evolved. It cuts to the heart of what most people feel and are going through. I just felt connected to it.

How did being in Kansas City shape your playing?

Kansas City has a long history of jazz and blues, and they had jams every day. That was why I started picking up standards: I had to bring songs that were oriented to the jams, songs that I could jump up and play and people could follow. I was going out every night of the week for a while there, at like 18, 19 years old, for years. I’d go to work or school and then get off and go play.

All of your albums have their own signature sounds. How have you grown as an artist throughout your releases?

I think the songs became a little more important than the solo. We’ve added more instrumentation. I grew up loving soul singers, which isn’t something I talked about much because I came up as a guitar shredder in a trio. [On Chills & Fever ] I wanted to show everybody this other side, which is soul music. Then with Belle of the West , it was my love of Americana music and North Mississippi. There’s still a lot of guitar playing on it; there’s just a lot of layers.

Belle of the West opens with Shardé Thomas playing fife on “American Dream.” You can’t get more hill country than that.

That’s real stuff. She’s a direct descendant of [fife and drum player] Otha Turner. We had so much great talent on that record, and there were more females in the studio than ever. All these beautiful female voices – Lillie Mae sang on it and played fiddle, [upright bassist] Amy LaVere, Tikyra Jackson played drums. We had a choir of sirens.

Releasing two records in a year was a bold move.

We recorded Belle of the West really close after Wild Heart came out. We were just so fired up. There’s no overdubbing. You’re singing into this mic, you’re playing into this mic – you can’t really fix things. Then the concept for Chills & Fever came about, and it just seemed like the time to try that. They’re diverse records. I don’t think they would’ve worked if we put out two records that were blues-rock.

How did you hook up with the Detroit Cobras for Chills & Fever ?

I’d made three albums that were trio-based, rockin’ guitar and stuff, and I wanted to spread out a little bit. I met Bobby Harlow, who produced the record, and he knew the Cobras pretty well. He and I had this idea for covering obscure soul classics – B sides that weren’t hits but should have been. We got this cool mix of classic Detroit R&B and soul, but also this rock and roll band backing it up. Then we brought in horns from New Orleans.

You expanded from a power trio to a seven-piece band in the process.

At first, I was afraid I was going to lose too much guitar, but there’s so much more to play to. It makes me be more creative, and we can take things further than we could before. When I hit the solo, it’s a little more surprising than when I was always playing all the time. A horn section can add such a great pad and lift and dynamic change that I couldn’t do as a trio all the time.

What gear are you using to bring out these styles live?

I’ve got an SG, and a Jaguar for light stuff like “Hello Stranger,” the Barbara Lewis song [on Chills & Fever ]. I’ve got a Delaney 512 – you can get some funky feedback notes out of it. I have my Delaney signature model, the Fishcaster. I use that a lot for slide stuff. And cigar-box guitars, of course. I have one that’s called a Stogie Box Blues guitar, and it sounds mean as hell. And then my acoustic koa Taylor.

What role do pedals play in recreating such a wide array of tones?

I did away with pedals for years, but now I love using delay. You can work the knobs against each other, make crazy psychedelic noises, and you can slow the pitch down. One of my favorites is the [Analog Man] King of Tone. That’s my go-to if I have a big solo. It sounds so nice, like the tubes are warmed up to the perfect temperature and the amp is turned up to the right volume.

How do you view your role in the blues?

That’s tough, because I don’t know what my role is within blues music. I’m just trying to take what I love and internalize it, and maybe put out something that sounds a little different. I think that’s important, because you turn on new people to it that way. I love what the Black Keys did, and Jack White, because you could tell they were big fans of Delta blues. Young kids who maybe never would have heard a Junior Kimbrough record will maybe go out and buy one. So just take it and move forward with it, and always keep it as inspiration.

Look out for Samantha Fish’s new album Faster .  In the meantime, why not grab a copy of her 2019 LP Kill or Be Killed here .

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Jim Beaugez has written about music for Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, Guitar World, Guitar Player and many other publications. He created My Life in Five Riffs , a multimedia documentary series for Guitar Player that traces contemporary artists back to their sources of inspiration, and previously spent a decade in the musical instruments industry.

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Samantha Fish

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“You should always get outside of the box,” Samantha Fish says while discussing her boundary-breaking new album Belle of the West. “Challenging yourself is how you grow.”

After launching her recording career in 2009, Samantha Fish quickly established herself as a rising star in the contemporary blues world.  Since then, the charismatic young singer-guitarist-songwriter has earned a reputation as a rising guitar hero and powerful live performer, while releasing a series of acclaimed albums that have shown her restless creative spirit consistently taking her in new and exciting musical directions.

The New York Times called Fish “an impressive blues guitarist who sings with sweet power” and “one of the genre’s most promising young talents.”  Her hometown paper The Kansas City Star noted, “Samantha Fish has kicked down the door of the patriarchal blues club” and observed that the young artist “displays more imagination and creativity than some blues veterans exhibit over the course of their careers.”

Having already made it clear that she’s more interested in following her heart than she is in repeating past triumphs, Samantha Fish delivers some of her most compelling music to date with Belle of the West, her fifth studio album.  The deeply soulful, personally charged 11-song set showcases Fish’s sublime acoustic guitar skills as well as her rootsy, emotionally resonant songwriting.

Such memorable new originals as “American Dream,” “Blood in the Water,” “Need You More” and “Don’t Say You Love Me” demonstrate the artist’s knack for organic Americana songcraft, while a trio of cover tunes—R.L. Burnside’s “Poor Black Mattie,” Lillie Mae’s “Nearing Home” and the Jimbo Mathus-penned title track—attest to her substantial interpretive skills as well as her varied musical interests.

“To me, this is a natural progression,” Fish notes. “It’s a storytelling record by a girl who grew up in the Midwest.  It’s very personal.  I really focused on the songwriting and vocals, the melodies and emotion, and on bringing another dimension to what I do.  I wasn’t interested in shredding on guitar, although we ended up with a few heavier tracks.  I love Mississippi blues; there’s something very soulful and very real about that style of music, so this was a chance to immerse myself in that.”

Fish recorded Belle of the West in the relaxed, rural creative atmosphere of the legendary Zebra Ranch Studios in the North Hills of Mississippi with producer Luther Dickinson (of North Mississippi Allstars fame), with whom she worked previously on her 2015 album Wild Heart.  The studio team included some of the region’s most iconoclastic musicians, including Dickinson, solo artist and Jack White associate Lillie Mae (whose distinctive vocals are featured on “Nearing Home”), much-traveled juke- joint blues artist Lightnin’ Malcolm (whose featured on “Poor Black Mattie”), Squirrel Nut Zippers founder Jimbo Mathus, upright bassist and beloved solo artist Amy LaVere, Tikyra Jackson, Trina Raimey and Shardé Thomas, granddaughter of the legendary Southern bluesman Otha Turner.

“I wanted to do this acoustic-electric record, and tap into the style and swagger of Mississippi,” Fish states, adding, “Any time you dive into another place, another vibe and a new group of people, you’re challenging yourself to grow musically.  I felt very at home a Zebra Ranch, and I’ve known Luther and Malcolm for years, so it was a very comfortable situation.  When you’re making a record like this, it has to feel natural if you want people to respond to it.

Belle of the West follows on the heels of Fish’s March 2017 release Chills & Fever, which achieved top 10 status in the Billboard Blues charts. Here she expanded her stylistic arsenal to take on a set of lesser-known vintage R&B gems, with help from members of garage-soul stalwarts the Detroit Cobras. “Having these two very different records come out back to back this year has been really liberating,” says Samantha.

The creative drive that fuels Belle of the West and Chills & Fever has been a crucial element of Samantha Fish’s approach from the beginning.  Growing up in a musical family in Kansas City, Missouri, she became obsessed with music early life, taking up drums before switching to guitar at the age of 15. By the time she was 20, she had formed her own trio and self-released her first album.  She soon caught the ear of the renowned blues label Ruf Records, which in 2011 released Girls with Guitars, which teamed her with fellow axewomen Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde.  The same year saw Ruf release Fish’s solo studio debut Runaway.  The album was named Best Artist Debut at the 2012 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.

Black Wind Howlin’ (2013) and Wild Heart (2015) followed, winning considerable critical acclaim and further establishing Fish as a prominent presence in the blues community.  Wild Heart reached the top slot on Billboard’s blues chart.  She also collaborated with blues-rock veterans Jimmy Hall and Reese Wynans on the 2013 project The Healers.  The same year, she jammed onstage with blues icon Buddy Guy, and guested on Devon Allman’s album Turquoise.

Fish continues to maintain the same hardworking, prolific approach that’s carried her this far.  “I think I’ve always had that,” she says.  “Music is my life, so what other choice do I have but to go out and make music?  We do tour quite a bit, and maybe it’s kind of crazy to put out two dramatically different albums in one year.  But I like to work hard.  This is who I am and this is what I do, and when I’m writing and recording and touring is when I feel the most like myself.  And now we have a moment where people are paying attention, so I have to make the most of it.  I feel like I have a lot to say right now, so why not say it?”

As far as Samantha Fish is concerned, her musical future is an open road.  “I’m never gonna be a traditional blues artist, because that’s not who I am,” she asserts.  “But it’s all the blues for me.  When Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf came out, what they were doing didn’t sound like anything that had been done in blues before.  You’ve gotta keep that kind of fire and spirit.  I’m never gonna do Muddy Waters better than Muddy Waters, so I have to be who I am and find my best voice.

Connect with Samantha Fish

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Samantha Fish – Blues and Beyond!

Samantha Fish – The Early Years

Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri. as a kid she starts out playing drums and later switches to guitar as a teenager. She’s also exposed to music at an early age between her mother being a church choir instructor and her father playing guitar with his friends and she was into the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, just to name a few! Starting out she would go to the local club “Knuckleheads” Saloon to hear touring blues artists. After turning 18, she often joins in with the singers and bands who were performing.

Flash forward to 2009, she’s already starting her career as a singer-guitarist, recording albums, and touring nationally. This just shows how determined she is on how she handles her career. Besides being an award-winning artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, she also very business savvy and is very involved in developing her brand and deciding on what projects she wants to be involved in. “I was lucky to see her perform live in Florida, and I have to say she’s quite the bad ass on stage! I highly recommend you check her out! 

Creating Her Own Destiny

In 2009, Fish records and produces “Live Bait” a live album that is pretty much her calling card. Well, it works, and she captures the attention of a local talent scout who puts it in the hands of Ruf Records. Which does an album with two other blues artists for their album “Girls with Guitars. Which takes them on a tour through Europe and the U.S As the 2011 Blues Caravan. After the tour, she continues performing and touring as the Samantha Fish Band which is her playing as a trio with her on the guitar, Ray pollard on drums and Chris Alexander on bass.

2011 proves to be a pivotal year for Fish when she finally records another album with her mentor Mike Zito called Runaway. Which wins her the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist. In 2013, she gets invited to appear on Devon Allman’s 2013 album Turquoise in a duet covering the Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks’ song “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. As well as being called up on stage to play guitar with Buddy Guy. We’re pretty sure she held her own on this particular occasion!

In 2013, Fish releases her second major studio album, Black Wind Howlin’ , featuring Mike Zito on guitar, and a duet Paul Thorn, on one track. As well as appearing on The Healers Live at Knuckleheads Saloon, producing a CD/DVD collaboration with Jimmy Hall, Reese Wynans, Kate Moss, and Danielle and Kris Schnebelen. In 2015, she releases her third Album “Wild Heart” , Chills & Fever in 2017 , “Belle of The West” in 2017, and “ Kill or Be Kind” in 2019 on her new label Rounder Records. So, as you can see, she keeps herself busy! 

Her Latest Album – Faster

She releases her seventh solo album, “Faster”, on Rounder Records. The album is produced by Martin Kierszenbaum, and features drummer Josh Freese and bass player Diego Navaira of the Last Bandoleros as well as rapper Tech N9ne who is featured on the song “Loud”. The result?

It’s electrifying! The album is an in-your-face mix of pure blues with a rock and roll edge. It’s definitely a nice direction for her and it really highlights her singing and guitar playing. Also, check out “Twisted Ambition” Below from her latest album as well.  

Cigar Box Guitarist & Her Other Musical Styles

Not only is she a blues guitarist, and singer but she’s also a mean cigar box guitar player! Depending on what kind of performance she’s doing (usually at festivals). She likes to surprise her audiences often by playing her cigar box guitar to massive audiences. While continuing to play and to grow as a musician. She also has started incorporating a wide variety of genres into her music and her performances. Below she is playing her CBG guitar at the 2019 New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival.  

Furthermore, be sure, to check out the other JB blog posts: https://jbonamassa.com/jb-blog/

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Jerry Phillips, Son of Sun, Steps Out on His Own

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Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea: Mediterranean (Part One) – Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Cruise Included Visit to Nerdville

The second sailing of Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea: Mediterranean sailed out of Athens, Greece on August 23, 2022, and before the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Jade returned to the Greek capital five days later cruisers had a chance to see two full shows from Bonamassa as well as multiple performances from other stars like Keb’ Mo’, Walter Trout, Tommy Emmanuel, Samantha Fish, Marc Broussard and Ana Popović. The Jade called at Mykonos, Greece and Kuşadası, Turkey along the way and also made a “stop” at Nerdville.

Some 25 acts entertained fans throughout the cruise, with early morning acoustic shows, full concerts throughout the day and late night jam sessions. And while fans raved about shows from former Van Morrison side man James Hunter and the reggae-fied blues rock of Jackie Venson, there was never any doubt as to who fans adored the most. And there were plenty of chances to enjoy the work of Joe Bonamassa during the cruise, beginning with an evening concert on the Jade ’s pool deck on sail away day.

Bonamassa began his set with “Dust Bowl,” a cut with eerie overtones, before moving into “Evil Mama,” a ‘70s-inspired blues rocker with a funky beat. The song also featured the first of many guitar solos from Joe – a jaw-dropping display that Bonamassa made seem effortless. “I Didn’t Think She Would Do It,” “Notches,” “Just ’Cos You Can Don’t Mean You Should,” “Curtain Call,” and “The Heart That Never Waits” filled out the middle of the show as did a haunting cover of Gary Moore’s “Midnight Blues;” Bonamassa has acknowledged the late Irish firebrand as an influence on his style. As he often does, Bonamassa wrapped up his set with “The Ballad of John Henry.”

Joe’s two concerts during the cruise were only part of how fans could immerse themselves in all-things Bonamassa, who appeared as a guest player at many of the other shows, including sitting in for a song with Jade MacRae, a longtime vocalist in his band. The ship’s television system featured a Joe Bonamassa channel that aired mostly live material 24/7 (another channel featured all the other acts) and for those who wanted Joe to, uh, keep them warm at night, blankets featuring Joe’s likeness could be purchased in the merch area. Perhaps the most unique available experience was the chance for fans to witness a taping of Joe’s podcast Live from Nerdville .

For the episode of Live from Nerdville that was taped in the Jade ’s Stardust Theater, Joe interviewed Tommy Emmanuel, Marc Broussard and Terry Reid. All three conversations began with a recounting of how the two first met. Marveling at how joyous Emmanuel seems to always be on stage, Joe asked Tommy about his passion and Emmanuel responded that meeting people, hearing other people play and jamming was a big part of it; Bonamassa noted for example a 2 ½ hour impromptu off-stage jam between Emmanuel and Keb’ Mo’ that he had witnessed the day before the taping. When Bonamassa commented that the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruises are one of the only places where artists can enjoy that kind of musical camaraderie, Emmanuel jokingly asked “Are you trying to get me to sign up for next year?”

When Broussard came on, Bonamassa posed the question to the Louisiana-born artist, “What is it about the south that creates a sound that no other region in the US or anywhere in the world creates?” Before Marc could answer Joe poked a little fun at his own homeland saying, “There’s no one walking around going, ‘Man, I just can’t get enough of that Upstate New York soul.’” The question is almost impossible to answer and Broussard responded with humor, “I really don’t know. It probably has to do with slight in-breeding and a heavy dose of spice.”

Terry Reid was by far the most-animated of the “Live from Nerdville” guests and he reveled in telling stories. Reid goes back a long way and he had Bonamassa and the audience in stitches as he related a tour where he was the opening act for the Rolling Stones in the 1960s. The Stones were experiencing Beatlemania-like pandemonium at the time and it extended to the opening act, with Reid noting that the crowd’s screaming was so intense that it drowned out the music. No music was played during the taping but it will be edited in for the podcast’s airing, scheduled for later this year.

The next sailing of the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean will be August 17-22, 2023 and once again sail from Athens with calls at Santorini, Greece and Dubrovnik, Croatia. Blackberry Smoke, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jimmy Vivino and Kirk Fletcher will be among those joining Bonamassa.

Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Europe

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