Samantha Fish

Samantha Fish (born January 30, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist originally from Kansas City, Missouri. While often cited as a blues artist, Fish's albums and live shows feature multiple genres, including rock, country, funk, bluegrass and ballads.

Samantha Fish
Fish performing at the Zurich Kaufleuten Concert in 2019
Background information
Born (1989-01-30) January 30, 1989
Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
GenresBlues, roots rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, guitarist
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals
Years active2009–present
LabelsRuf, Rounder
Websitesamanthafish.com

Her elder sister, Amanda Fish, is a fellow singer-songwriter, recording for VizzTone Records.[1]

Early life and education

Samantha Fish grew up in Kansas City, Kansas and started out playing the drums, but when she was 15 she switched to guitar.

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 influential moment. Samantha and her sister were both drawn towards blues music in their teenage years.[2]

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 at Knuckleheads.[3][4]

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.[3] 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.[3]

Fish appeared on Devon Allman's 2013 album Turquoise in a duet covering the Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks' song "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around".[5] 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!"[6]

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.[3] The album was recorded in Dockside Studios, in Maurice, Louisiana. Mike Zito's bandmates from his group Royal Southern Brotherhood, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooton, were brought in to assist in the session recordings.[4]

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 new 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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] The album was recorded in Detroit and was recorded with members of the band The Detroit Cobras. Bobby Harlow produced the album.[10] 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.[11] It was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.[12]

Awards

Fish has won the following awards:

  • Best New Artist Debut – 2012 Blues Music Awards in Memphis[13]
  • Artist of the Year – 2016 Independent Blues Awards[14]
  • Best Independent Female Blues Artist – 2016 Independent Blues Awards[14]
  • Best Independent Blues Contemporary CD (for Wild Heart (Ruf Records)) – 2016 Independent Blues Awards[14]
  • Best Modern Roots Song (for "Go Home" from the album, Wild Heart) – 2016 Independent Blues Awards[14]
  • Road Warrior – 2016 Independent Blues Awards[14]
  • Best Contemporary Blues Album (for Chills & Fever (Ruf Records)) - 2017 Blues Blast Music Awards[15]
  • Best Independent Female Blues Artist – 2017 Independent Blues Awards[16]
  • Road Warrior – 2017 Independent Blues Awards[16]
  • Best Blues Album (for Belle of the West (Ruf Records)) – 2017 Best of the Beat Awards[17]
  • Best Modern Roots CD (for Belle of the West (Ruf Records)) – 2018 Independent Blues Awards[18]
  • Best Independent Blues-Soul Artist – 2018 Independent Blues Awards[18]
  • Best Stage Performance – 2018 Independent Blues Awards[18]
  • Road Warrior – 2018 Independent Blues Awards[18]
  • Song for Common Good (for "American Dream" from the album Belle of the West)– 2018 Independent Blues Awards[18]
  • Female Blues Artist of the Year (Readers' Poll) – 2018 Annual Living Blues Awards[19]
  • Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year – 2018 Blues Music Awards[20]
  • Best Female Vocalist – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards[21]
  • Best Blues Performer – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards[22]
  • Best Guitarist – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards[23]
  • Artist of the Year – 2018 Best of the Beat Awards[24]

Samantha Fish wins Making a Scene's 2020 Independent Blues Awards for: Artist of the Year Female Artist of the Year Producer of the Year Best Soul Artist Best Soul CD "Kill or Be Kind" Best Music Video "Kill or Be Kind" Best Modern Roots song "Kill or Be Kind" Gateway Artist Road Warrior Award CD of the Year

Charts
  • Black Wind Howlin'[25]
    • Top Heatseekers at No. 47 (2013)
    • Top Blues Albums at No. 7 (2013, 2014)
  • Wild Heart[26]
    • Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2015)
  • Belle of the West [27]
    • Top Blues Albums at No. 1 (2017)

Family

Her older sister is Amanda Fish, a fellow American blues singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.[28]

Discography

Albums
Title Year Artist Label Producer
Live Bait 2009 The Samantha Fish Blues Band The Samantha Fish Blues Band 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[29] 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

Notes
  1. "Amanda Fish to bring her roots-rock 'n' soul sound to Star Sessions". Kansascity.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  2. Tudhope, Andrea. "Kansas City Sisters Amanda And Samantha Fish Sing The Blues". Kcur.org. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  3. Crawford 2014.
  4. Anderson 2013.
  5. Jurek 2013.
  6. Abbate 2014.
  7. Nash 2015.
  8. Finn 2015.
  9. "Chills & Fever – Samantha Fish". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  10. "Chills & Fever". Epoginis. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  11. Maxwell, Jackson (July 11, 2019). "Samantha Fish Premieres New "Bulletproof" Music Video". Guitar World. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  12. "Favorite Blues Albums | AllMusic 2019 in Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  13. Blues Foundation 2012.
  14. "Independent Blues Awards Announced". Making A Scene!. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  15. "2017 BLUES BLAST MUSIC AWARDS". Blues Blast Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  16. "Independent Blues Awards 2017 WINNERS". Making A Scene!. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  17. "Best of the Beat Award Winners: Complete List". OffBeat Magazine. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  18. "Independent Blues Awards 2018". Making A Scene!. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  19. "25TH ANNUAL LIVING BLUES AWARDS (2018)". Living Blues. Living Blues Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  20. "Blues Music Awards winners announced". The Blues Foundation. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  21. "Best Of The Beat 2018: And The Winners Are…". Offbeat.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  22. "Best Of The Beat 2018: And The Winners Are…". Offbeat.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  23. "Best Of The Beat 2018: And The Winners Are…". Offbeat.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  24. "Best Of The Beat 2018: And The Winners Are…". Offbeat.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  25. "Samantha Fish: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  26. "Blues Music: Top Blues Albums Chart". Billboard. January 14, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  27. "Blues Music: Top Blues Albums Chart". Billboard. November 25, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  28. "Review: Free by Amanda Fish". Rockandbluesmuse.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  29. Redley 2015.

References
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