In the background, a guitar note was turned, or maybe a chord strummed. Samantha Fish first apologized for scheduling and then re-scheduling our phone interview. “Yeah, now it’s just a crazy, hectic time. I’m getting ready for this Experience Hendrix Tour. So, I’m cramming Jimi Hendrix as we speak.”
The Experience Hendrix Tour is a series of all-star concerts to celebrate the music and legacy of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. The 2024 edition featured well-known guitarists such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Johnson, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, among others. In late September, Fish played several of the tour’s West Coast dates before heading over to Europe in early October for a three-country tour.
While Fish prepared for her Experience Hendrix performances, she made time in her “absurd schedule,” as she called it, to work on material for a yet-to-be-determined new project—still far off on the horizon. With the phenomenal success of Death Wish Blues (released in May of 2023), her Grammy-nominated collaboration with “renegade rocker” Jesse Dayton, 2024 has, according to a mid-September press release, been a standout year for Samantha Fish. Last year, Death Wish Blues debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues Chart and held the top spot for three consecutive weeks.
As 2024 winds down, Samantha Fish and her band have not eased up. This year has been cram-packed with concerts and events, both large and small. From the mountains of Telluride, Colorado, to the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, to opening for The Rolling Stones in her home state of Missouri, Samantha Fish has been, according to her press release, unstoppable.
During our mid-September interview, along with a couple of follow-up emails, we discussed Fish’s “absurd schedule,” the highlights from her summer, European blues fans, “guitar heroes,” her growth as a songwriter, and, finally, where the road—literally—may take her.
First off, of course, Fish talked about cramming for her performances during the Experience Hendrix Tour.
“I believe that this event is kind of like they want you to do your version of (a Hendrix song). So, I feel like anybody who’s going to come to (Experience Hendrix) obviously is a fan of Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing. The idea is to try—in the spirit of it—to get as close as you can (to Hendrix’s style). But, we are mere mortals after all, so I’ll do my thing and figure out a way to marry the two things and not break my brain in the process.
“Actually, Jimi Hendrix is so much feel. It’s like loose and it feels good, so I think as long as it’s in that world I’m going to be all right.”
Fish laughs and then adds that, musically, all those guitarists have different personalities and they’re all doing their own interpretation of Hendrix’s famous number, “but nobody sounds just like Jimi Hendrix.”
She would go on to perform the Hendrix classics “Fire” and “Angel,” stating that “both are fantastic songs. ‘Fire’ has this fast and loose vibe that’s incredibly fun to play, It’s a song full of swagger, (while) ‘Angel’ is a beautiful ballad. Jimi sang in a low register, so figuring out how to make that work for my higher voice (was) interesting.”
Before the Experience Hendrix Tour, Fish spent part of her summer performing with legendary guitarist Slash on his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tour, showcasing the talents of many rock and blues musicians while promoting Slash’s Orgy of the Damned blues album, released in May of this year.
“Oh, so cool,” was how Fish described working with Slash. “He was very cool and kind.”
She said the tour—billed as “A Celebration of the Blues”—was very well run and “a unique showcase of blues music. All the artists that they brought out and highlighted were so vastly different from each other, and I thought that was kind of an interesting (thing).”
In addition to Fish, some of the other artists included: Eric Gales, Keb’ Mo’, ZZ Ward, Larkin Poe, Robert Randolph, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
“It was really cool to put all these different acts out on the road—this traveling festival—and there were a lot of rock and roll fans that I think (got) kind of a cool education in the blues, and into what’s going on in the contemporary (blues) scene, and how diverse and vast it is.”
Growing up, Slash was one of Fish’s original “guitar heroes,” along with Mike Campbell, the lead guitarist and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Fish described what makes these guitarists “heroes” to her.
“I love anybody with a personality…so you can just turn (a song) on and you know exactly who is holding that guitar because they have that personality. I think Keith Richards has that personality. I think (of), obviously, B.B. King. I think Derek Trucks has that personality. Freddie King has that personality. I think Angus Young (of AC/DC), and I think of Jimmy Page.
“Everybody knows these are guitar heroes, but it’s like, what makes somebody into that? I think it’s the voice…having a voice that separates and identifies you. Having a (unique) sound is everything. Personality is what makes a musician unique. I don’t know exactly how to define that quality, (but) it’s different, player by player.”
On July 21st, Fish had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open a show for one of those “guitar heroes” she previously mentioned—a guitarist who definitely exemplifies “personality.” Fish and her band opened for The Rolling Stones on the final stop of their Hackney Diamonds North American tour.
She said the idea of opening for The Stones was “pretty humbling and mind boggling, and I was trying not to freak out.” Fish laughs.
The tour’s final show was at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. The 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater is located in the Ozarks, near Branson.
“It was really (a) full circle moment because every time I do an interview, probably the length of my career, fifty percent of the time there’s this question: ‘If you were to say on your bucket list who you’d like to open for, who would it be?’ And I always say, ironically, ‘Yeah, The Stones, the biggest rock band in the world.’ And for that to actually come true has been just sort of…I never would have pictured this ten years ago. I feel really, like, humbled and lucky.
“I put my blinders on and tried not to let the moment overwhelm me in any way. I just went out there and put on my show…and we rocked it for our set and felt really vindicated and proud. It’s a lot of hard work that goes into this.”
At the end of her busy summer schedule, Fish released a three-song E.P. called Crowd Control. Recorded live during a video shoot in Nashville, Fish “reimagines” three of her better known numbers: “Crowd Control,” “Faster,” and “Better Be Lonely.”
She explained her motivation for releasing a live E.P. now, instead of a full live album.
“Well, we’ve been teasing a potential live record (for a while). But I just concluded this great collaborative tour with Jesse Dayton, and we put out a record (Death Wish Blues). I didn’t feel like right now is the right time to follow up that project with a full live record. But we have these live recordings, (and) people have been very adamant about wanting live music from us—recorded live music.
“So, it’s kind of like just a nice interim thing, while I’m working towards the next solo (project), or whatever, to release (live music recordings) to give our fans a treat and something that they want.”
Fish admitted that (a live E.P.) might not be exactly “all the way what they (the fans) want,” but she reiterated that she is working on new material and, perhaps, some other new projects, along with rounding out 2024 with several unique gigs.
Following her stint with the Experience Hendrix tour, Fish and her band headed to England for the European leg of this year’s Bulletproof Tour—three weeks in October that start in the UK, included a few stops in the Netherlands, and finished up in Germany. Fish discussed why she enjoys playing to European audiences and the challenges for a blues artist in “breaking through” in that market.
“I always look forward to going over there. We have an amazing fan base there, (and) it’s hard-earned. England, the UK, is not an easy place to break through the noise. They’re very particular. They’ve got good taste, so when they finally start paying attention to an artist, you know things are working. You’re doing something right.”
Fish laughs and then adds that it took persistence on several fronts to help her break through in Europe.
“I have very tenacious agents, and I’m cut from the same cloth…just not giving up on coming to a place and breaking a market that is kind of a difficult market to break. I’m still working on it. I’m still not satisfied, and I’m going to keep working on it, and I want to keep growing there (in Europe). I think just tenacity and just keeping after it. Showing up (for gigs and performances) and working with the right people who (can) bring us into the right situation to get ‘eyeballs and attention.’ And having the right records at the right time…all these things play a part.
“So, we finally really started having ‘good stroke’ over there and, people started turning up, and every time I go over there it’s a joy. The fans are really responsive, and they pay attention…they keep up (with current blues music trends), and they’re really educated with what we’re doing in the band.
“Same goes for the Netherlands, Holland. It’s nice to be able to visit different cultures, and from a stage perspective trying to read how each audience is going to interact with us because culturally there’s some pretty big differences in a lot of these places. So, it’s my job to go up there and kind of interpret how to do the show every night, which keeps me on my toes. So, it’s fun.
“I really like going over there (to Europe). It’s nice to see other parts of the world.”
Germany will be the final stop on the Bulletproof European tour with five dates in the latter part of October. Fish reflected on her time in Germany, where, in many respects, she got her start as a recording artist.
“Germany is one of the first places I toured early on because my record label—when I first got signed—was Ruf Records. We went on a month long tour in Germany, and we hit every big city and every small town. Those guys know how to party over there. It was pretty fun and pretty intense.”
Ruf Records is a German independent records label founded in 1994 by Thomas Ruf, who was Luther Allison’s manager at that time. The label’s motto is “Where Blues Crosses Over.” Fish recorded her first seven albums for Ruf, including Wild Heart, Chills & Fever, and Belle of the West.
When Fish and her band return from Europe, they’ll be part of Ruf Records 30th Anniversary Tour—USA, featuring Ghalia Volt, Bernard Allison, and the 1960s rock/blues band Canned Heat. The tour will take place in November at various spots in the Midwest and along the Eastern Seaboard. Fish said she’s excited to be part of the celebration.
“They asked if I wanted to be a part of it, and I it was really cool. I mean, Thomas (Ruf—pronounced “roof”) gave me my start in music, and this is a nice way to honor that. It’s going to be a really cool tour. It’s going to be us, (along with) Canned Heat (and) Mitch Ryder…and it’s going to be pretty special—some interesting night(s) of music.”
Fish then talked about performing live and the importance of connecting with her audiences, particularly as it relates to the intimacy of the blues.
“I do think (with) the blues, it probably goes back to the club circuit, (the) juke joints. Everything was really intimate. That’s kind of the magical thing about (the blues). Some of my favorite memories of going and attending blues shows…going to Red’s in Clarksdale. It doesn’t get any tighter than that.”
She elaborated on how that intimacy feels for the fans.
“You’re up close. You can almost feel the sweat coming off the stage, and you feel like you’re a part of it, and the blues is such a connecting kind of a music, universally, something people just dial into and feel.
“When you kind of amplify that and put it up on a big stage, it still works. There are massive artists out there now (performing) on a (big) stage, and does it lose the connectivity because it’s not in a small, tiny place? I don’t think so necessarily. I think it works in those type of rooms because of that feeling (connecting with an audience). I think it can affect you on a big stage (or) on a small stage, and that’s probably why it feels so intimate and the connection with the performer feels closer because (blues is) such an affecting music.”
Fish then talked about how important those audience connections are to her, as an artist.
“I need that as an artist because nothing feels worse than to go on stage and to feel disconnected from the audience. You don’t know if you’re giving them a good show. You don’t know if they like it.
“When I feel dialed in, and I’m doing my absolute best…when they’re finally laughing at my jokes—it doesn’t happen often. When you finally have that, when we’re actually having a conversation, and they’re responding, and I’m saying stuff and listening to what they’re saying, that’s the connection. My goal is always to bring people in and connect with them personally.”
That intimacy and connectivity in the blues community extends to the artists as well. Whether that’s jamming on stage or, occasionally, finding time to hang out backstage.
“The blues world is fairly connected, and that’s cool. When we played Telluride (Blues & Brews Festival), I met this artist named Zach Person for the first time. He’s a young guy, and he came and sat in with us on our last song of our set, during our night show. I thought that was really cool because the blues community is kind of open and there’s a lot of sharing that goes on.
“This cool blues world of ours, it’s pretty open and, I’ve gotten to jam with Buddy Guy, and he’s the greatest. There’s a tight knit feeling to it that even some of these massive artists are really kind and supportive, and they know that this isn’t an easy life to choose, you know, (playing) blues music for a living. I feel like there’s a lot of support there.”
Fish went on to say that blues artists have hectic schedules, which includes having time in between sets to catch-up.
“Sometimes you get there, and you do your thing and then you have to leave to go set up somewhere else. Sometimes you have a little moment to chit chat. I mean, we’ve all known each other for years, and the thing is everybody gets it. We all know what everybody’s schedule is like. So, sometimes, you (see another artist and say), ‘Hey, let’s eat lunch at catering. Let’s talk about life,’ and then, sometimes, you’re like, ‘Hey, good to see you. ‘Bye.’ It’s just different.”
While Fish mentioned earlier in the interview that—in between tour dates—she’s working on that yet-to-be-determined new project, she wasn’t ready to talk more about the project, now, other than to say that she’s “worked really hard on these set of songs, just trying to bring them to life in the direction that I want.”
Fish said she’d have more to say when her new project is completed. She did, however, talk in detail about the evolution of her songwriting style and the process.
“I have grown a lot as a writer. I’ve sought out different writers to work with over the course of the last decade or so. And I’ve learned a lot just through collaboration. You learn how somebody else approaches a song, or what do they think is important? What’s a good starting point? You learn about yourself through others.
“So, I’ve heavily leaned into collaboration over the years, just because I think it’s important to grow, and I like being able to bounce ideas off of somebody else, and I feel like I work faster. If you’re working with the right people, it only elevates the music.”
Which was the case working with Jesse Dayton on last year’s Grammy-nominated album, Death Wish Blues.
“Jesse is a fearless artist. He takes chances and doesn’t shy away from doing something outside the box. He and I had a vision, and we both worked tirelessly until it was perfect. I think that made it special for me, having a partner who had an open mind and a great work ethic. We really tapped into some creativity together.”
Fish went on to discuss her creative approach to songwriting.
“For me, I just try to find the song, no matter what, and sometimes it’s hard, via the approach that you take. I find I’m more successful with songs—at least getting it done—if (I) start with a melody and a hook. It’s so much easier to build a song. But, if you start with pages and pages of poetry and nothing to anchor that—no musical thing—it’s a lot harder to make that into something that is catchy and ear worming.”
That approach, finding a melody and a hook, has been a key ingredient to her songwriting success and certainly a product of her growth. Fish says that even with that approach, creating and completing a great song can be a long, challenging process. Another key to Fish’s success is to continue “chipping away” at an idea until she finds what works.
“You want to complete this song and this idea, but if you don’t start in a place that makes it easier, it can take a long time. I’ve had songs that I’ve labored over and I’ve just given up on them for years and then I’ll come back to it and try to chip away from a different angle. Marrying yourself to a melody, that helps a lot, and that’s just something I’ve learned. You only get that through trial and error of like writing 1,000 songs or something.”
Samantha Fish has certainly been unstoppable in 2024, and with her boundless energy and enthusiasm for her craft, she talked about what she sees for herself with an endless horizon of possibilities.
“I have so much stuff that I want to do that I don’t even know where to begin. I’m working right now (on) what’s the next step of my sound? What is this next evolution? What’s the next version of me? That’s kind of what I’m leaning into.
“And then there (are) a lot of things that I want to do. I want to produce records. I’d love to act…make more music videos…a lot of creative projects. I love writing songs with other people for other people.”
Fish talked about record producing, which she has done in the past, in terms of furthering her own creative “education.”
“I haven’t really thought about the ‘who’ (I might produce). Really, for me, I want to pursue education more in the way of when I watch somebody—I’m watching the engineer who’s mixing us, and I’m just completely blown away. Even working with (legendary producer) Jon Spencer on the last record (Death Wish Blues),…his knowledge of gears and getting tones and how to make that fit in a mix. I find all that stuff really fascinating. So, I want to grow as an artist, and I want to know more about this stuff. So, yeah, producing records is a vehicle for gaining that knowledge and experience. Who is that unlucky artist? I don’t know. (Fish laughed.) I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, if I’m being honest with you.” (She laughed, again.)
Samantha Fish then thought about where that proverbial road might lead her.
“What’s going to come next? I just got to kind of let things happen and then the opportunity is born there.”
Visit Samantha’s website at https://www.samanthafish.com/
Writer Ken Billett is a freelance writer based in Memphis. He is a Blues Foundation member and former docent/tour guide at the Blues Hall of Fame. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Ken writes about travel, music, and the Mississippi Delta.
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