History Music / SamanthaFish

* DoesNotLikeShoes: She sometimes performs barefoot.

Born into a musical family (her older sister Amanda Fish is also a blues singer/guitarist), Fish started out playing drums, but switched to guitar at 15, after a Music/SherylCrow concert made her realize that women could play lead. Despite that relatively late start, her musical background, her intense dedication, and the help of family members soon allowed her to master the new instrument. In 2009, at age 20, Fish released a home-made live album, ''Live Bait''--now a collectors item--which got her the attention of Ruf Records. Ruf signed her for a novelty act called Girls with Guitars. The band released a SelfTitledAlbum in 2011, which included three songs written Fish. It was produced by guitarist Mike Zito, who began mentoring her, and who also produced her first solo studio album, ''Runaway'', which won a Best New Artist award from the Blues Foundation.

Born into a musical family, Fish started out playing drums, but switched to guitar at 15, after a Music/SherylCrow concert made her realize that women could play lead. Despite that relatively late start, her musical background, her intense dedication, and the help of family members soon allowed her to master the new instrument. In 2009, at age 20, Fish released a home-made live album, ''Live Bait''--now a collectors item--which got her the attention of Ruf Records. Ruf signed her for a novelty act called Girls with Guitars. The band released a SelfTitledAlbum in 2011, which included three songs written Fish. It was produced by guitarist Mike Zito, who began mentoring her, and who also produced her first solo studio album, ''Runaway'', which won a Best New Artist award from the Blues Foundation.

Fish is usually vague about her influences, saying she listens to a lot of different people, but tries not to take too much from anyone in particular. As a kid, she mostly listened to classic rock, country, and grunge. She has mentioned Music/TheRollingStones as a particular favorite. As a pro, she's sought out more of the old, classic blues, but still tries to cast a wide net.

* DoesNotLikeSHoes: She frequently performs barefoot.

* CardSharp: In "Lay It Down (Saturday Night)", she meets a card sharp named Jimmy, with an ace up his sleeve. The "it" she lays down is his body--in a shallow grave.

* DisposingOfABody: The music video for "Lay It Down" features Fish in the woods, digging a grave for the body of a man who tried to cheat her in a poker game.

Samantha Fish (1989–) is a blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri, known for her fiery leads and powerful vocals. Although she's generally filed under Music/{{Blues}}--she has two #1 Blues albums--her wide-ranging influences include roots rock, country, grunge, and R&B.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Chills & Fever'' added horns, and shifted direction from pure blues to a mix of blues, garage rock, and R&B. It put more emphasis on the vocals, and not as much on Fish's flashy guitar work, and generally had a more sultry, sexy feel than her earlier, in-your-face work. Critics loved it, but the fan reaction was more mixed.

Samantha Fish (1989–) is a blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri, known for her fiery leads and powerful vocals. Although she's generally filed under Music/{{Blues}}--she has two #1 Blues albums--her wide-ranging influences include roots rock, country, grunge, and R&B, putting her on the edge of Music/BluesRock.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Chills & Fever'' added horns, and shifted direction from pure blues to a mix of blues, garage rock, and R&B. It put more emphasis on the vocals, and not as much on Fish's flashy guitar work, and generally had a more sexy feel than her earlier, in-your-face work. Critics loved it, but the fan reaction was more mixed.

* MelismaticVocals: She does a strong one singing the word "break" on her cover of Nina Simone's "Either Way I Lose", starting with a long sustain on the tonic, and then going up and down through several notes.

Born into a musical family, Fish started out playing drums, but switched to guitar at age 15, after a Music/SherylCrow concert made her realize that women could play lead. Despite a relatively late start, her musical background, her intense dedication, and the help of family members soon allowed her to master the new instrument. In 2009, at age 21, Fish released a home-made live album, ''Live Bait''--now a collectors item--which got her the attention of Ruf Records. Ruf signed her for a novelty act called Girls with Guitars. The band released a SelfTitledAlbum in 2011, which included three original tunes written Fish. It was produced by guitarist Mike Zito, who began mentoring her, and who also produced her first solo studio album, ''Runaway'', which won a Best New Artist award from the Blues Foundation.

In 2013, Fish released her second studio album, ''Black Wind Howlin''', also produced by Mike Zito, and also released her first music video for the song "Lay It Down". The album cover and the video both prominently featured her custom guitar with a stylized fish logo carved in the top.

In 2015, she followed up with ''Wild Heart'', produced by Luther Dickinson of the Music/NorthMississippiAllstars, which reached #1 on the Billboard Blues charts. In 2017, she released two albums, and made big changes in the band. Long-time drummer "Go-Go Ray" left, and Fish added keys and a pair of horn players, changing the trio into a sextet. The year's first album, ''Chills & Fever'', added R&B and garage rock to her sound. For the next album, ''Belle of the West'', she went with a more country-blues style, with more acoustic instruments, including violin. The latter album, which was also produced by Dickinson, also reached #1 on the Blues charts.

* DisposingOfABody: The music video for "Lay It Down" by features Fish in the woods, digging a grave for the body of a man who tried to cheat her in a poker game.