Samantha Fish

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.

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.

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.

Career

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.

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.

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!"

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.

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).

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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

Discography Albums Title Year Artist Label Producer Live Bait 2009 The Samantha Fish Blues Band Samantha Fish Productions Steve McBride Girls with Guitars 2011 Samantha Fish / Cassie Taylor / Dani Wilde Ruf Mike Zito Runaway 2011 Samantha Fish Ruf Mike Zito Girls with Guitars Live (CD/DVD) 2012 Samantha Fish / Dani Wilde / Victoria Smith Ruf Uwe Treskatis, Thomas Ruf Black Wind Howlin' 2013 Samantha Fish Ruf Mike Zito The Healers (CD/DVD) 2013 Jimmy Hall / Reese Wynans / Samantha Fish / Kate Moss / Danielle Schnebelen / Kris Schnebelen Blue Star Connection Stellar Press Wild Heart| 2015 Samantha Fish Ruf Luther Dickinson Chills & Fever| 2017 Samantha Fish Ruf Bobby Harlow Belle of the West| 2017 Samantha Fish Ruf Luther Dickinson Kill or Be Kind| 2019 Samantha Fish Rounder Scott Billington Faster| 2021 Samantha Fish Rounder Martin Kierszenbaum Death Wish Blues| 2023 Samantha Fish / Jesse Dayton Rounder Jon Spencer Paper Doll| 2025 Samantha Fish Rounder Bobby Harlow Paper Doll Live| 2026 Samantha Fish Rounder Michelle Aquilato

Awards Blues Blast Music Awards YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.2017Contemporary Blues AlbumChills & Fever

Blues Music Award +YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.2018Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year

Grammy Awards

Living Blues Awards YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.2018Readers' Poll: Blues Artist of the Year (Female)

OffBeat 's Best of the Beat Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.

Best Blues Band or Performer Best Blues Album Belle of the West| Top Heatseekers at No. 47 (2013) Top Blues Albums at No. 7 (2013, 2014) Wild Heart Top Heatseekers at No. 14 (2015) Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2015) Chills & Fever Top Heatseekers at No. 7 (2017) Top Blues Albums at No. 3 (2017)Belle of the West Top Heatseekers at No. 2 (2017) Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2017) Kill or Be Kind Top Heatseekers at No. 1 (2019) Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2019) Faster'' Top Heatseekers at No. 18 (2021) Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2021)