Samantha Fish is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri. While she is often cited as a blues artist, Fish's work features and draws from multiple genres, including rock, country, funk, bluegrass, and ballads.

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Samantha Fish (born January 30, 1989) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri. While she is often cited as a blues artist, Fish's work features and draws from multiple genres, including rock, country, funk, bluegrass, and ballads. \n

Among other awards, she has received two Grammy Best Contemporary Blues Album nominations, for her 2023 collaboration with Jesse Dayton titled Death Wish Blues and for her 2025 album Paper Doll.\n

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Early life and education

Fish grew up in the Kansas City area. She started out playing the drums, but switched to guitar when she was 15. Fish's mother was the instructor in a local church choir, and her father played guitar with friends. Initially hearing recordings of Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, she later heard music from Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones and cites the Stones' album Sticky Fingers as an early influence. She and her sister were both drawn towards blues music in their teenage years.\n

Fish regularly went to the Knuckleheads Saloon to hear touring blues artists. After turning 18, she often joined in with the singers and bands who were performing there.\n

Career

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In 2009, Fish recorded and produced Live Bait. The live album attracted the attention of a talent company, who recommended her to Ruf Records. Ruf Records put together a record with Fish and two other female blues artists, Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde, titled Girls with Guitars. The three guitarists then toured on the Ruf Records 2011 Blues Caravan in the U.S. and Europe.\n

Fish continued touring with the Samantha Fish Band, featuring \"Go-Go Ray\" Pollard on drums and Chris Alexander on bass, playing in Europe and the United States. In 2011, Fish recorded Runaway with the help of her mentor Mike Zito. The album won the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist.\n

Fish appeared on Devon Allman's 2013 album Turquoise in a duet covering the Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks' song \"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around\". During the summer of 2013, Fish was called up on stage to play with a skeptical Buddy Guy who was so impressed with her playing on the guitar, he declared with a beaming smile to his audience, \"When this kind of shit happens, I'll play all night!\"\n

In 2013, Fish released her second major studio album, Black Wind Howlin', featuring Mike Zito on guitar, Yonrico Scott on drums, Johnny Sansone on harmonica, and Paul Thorn, vocal duet on one track. The album was recorded in Dockside Studios, in Maurice, Louisiana. Zito's bandmates from his group Royal Southern Brotherhood, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooton, were brought in to assist in the session recordings. Also in 2013, Fish appeared on The Healers Live at Knuckleheads Saloon, producing a CD/DVD collaboration with Jimmy Hall, Reese Wynans, Kate Moss, and Danielle and Kris Schnebelen (sister and brother, formerly of the band Trampled Under Foot). Proceeds benefit the Blue Star Connection. The Healers occasionally perform together as their schedule permits.\n

Fish's third studio album, Wild Heart, was released on July 10, 2015. The album is more roots rock than her earlier blues rock. Fish wrote five songs on the record. She co-wrote five other songs with Jim McCormick in Nashville, Tennessee. Luther Dickinson produced the album, as well as played various stringed instruments (guitar, bass, mandolin, lap steel) to flesh out the sound. The album was recorded in four studios, Royal Studios and Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, Zebra Ranch in Coldwater, Mississippi, and Blade Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana. Other musicians on the record are Brady Blade (drums), Lightnin' Malcolm (guitar), Shardé Thomas (drums), Dominic Davis (bass), Shontelle Norman-Beatty (background vocals), and Risse Norman (background vocals).\n

Fish released her fourth solo album, Chills & Fever on March 17, 2017. The album was recorded in Detroit and was recorded with members of the band The Detroit Cobras. Bobby Harlow produced the album. Belle of the West followed in December 2017.\n

Fish released her sixth solo album, Kill or Be Kind, on September 20, 2019, on her new label, Rounder Records. It was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.\n

Fish released her seventh solo album, Faster, on September 10, 2021, on Rounder Records. The album was produced by Martin Kierszenbaum, and features drummer Josh Freese and bass player Diego Navaira of The Last Bandoleros. Kansas City area rapper Tech N9ne is featured on the song \"Loud\".\n

In 2022, Fish was featured in the documentary short Love Letters: Samantha Fish Live From New Orleans presented by Carl Van Productions in association with Very Productive Pictures and WYES-TV, airing in both 2022 and 2023.\n

In May 2023, Fish released the collaborative album Death Wish Blues (Rounder Records) with Jesse Dayton, and the pair set forth on an extensive tour schedule throughout the US, UK, and Europe. Supporting them on the UK leg of their tour was Canadian roots rock band The Commoners. Death Wish Blues was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards.\n

Her ninth solo album, Paper Doll, was released in April 2025. It garnered Fish a 2026 Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.\n

Personal life

Her older sister, Amanda Fish, is a singer-songwriter who has recorded for VizzTone Records.\n

Discography

Albums

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Awards

Blues Blast Music Awards

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Blues Music Award

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Grammy Awards

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Independent Blues Awards

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Living Blues Awards

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OffBeat's Best of the Beat Awards

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Charts

Black Wind Howlin'\n
- Top Heatseekers at No. 47 (2013)
- Top Blues Albums at No. 7 (2013, 2014)
Wild Heart\n
- Top Heatseekers at No. 14 (2015)
- Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2015)
Chills & Fever\n
- Top Heatseekers at No. 7 (2017)
- Top Blues Albums at No. 3 (2017)
Belle of the West \n
- Top Heatseekers at No. 2 (2017)
- Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2017)
Kill or Be Kind\n
- Top Heatseekers at No. 1 (2019)
- Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2019)
Faster\n
- Top Heatseekers at No. 18 (2021)
- Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2021)

Notes

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References

Abbate, Vincent (July 2014). \"Samantha Fish: Kansas City Bomber\". Blues Music Magazine (3): 10. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Anderson, Berry (September 3, 2013). \"Samantha Fish's latest, Black Wind Howlin', strays a bit from her blues roots\". The Pitch. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Blues Foundation (2012). \"2012 – 33rd Blues Music Awards Winners\". Blues.org. The Blues Foundation. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Crawford, Jim (April 22, 2014). \"Featured Interview: Samantha Fish\". Blues Blast Magazine. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Finn, Timothy (May 13, 2015). \"Samantha Fish takes her bluesy sound into new territory\". Kansas City Star. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Jurek, Thom (February 12, 2013). \"Turquoise, Devon Allman: AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek\". AllMusic. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Nash, JD (May 30, 2015). \"Wild Heart a Turning Point for Samantha Fish\". American Blues Scene Magazine. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
Redley, Simon (June 9, 2015). \"Samantha Fish: Wild Heart (Ruf Records)\". B&S. Blues & Soul Magazine. Retrieved June 19, 2015.

External links

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Official website
SamanthaFishFans website
Samantha Fish at AllMusic
Samantha Fish discography at Discogs
Samantha Fish on ReverbNation

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Samantha Fish

Broadcast History