"I looked over my shoulder, saw Ronnie Wood and thought: 'That's nice!' I didn't meet the Rolling Stones, but I waved at them from a gold cart." Samantha Fish on playing with the Stones and her complicated relationship with the blues

Samantha Fish onstage — (Image credit: Adam Kennedy)

Preparing to tour Paper Doll, her album released last year that attracted rave reviews, Kansas City-born guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Samantha Fish discusses her modern, colourful and sassy take on the blues.

Congratulations on your current album, Paper Doll, being nominated for a Grammy. Last year, Classic Rock described it as: “ridiculously good”.

It’s always nice when people like what you make for them. I didn’t see a single bad review, which is good because had I done so it would be the only one I’m likely to have remembered.

Classic Rock also said that you have “the work ethic of an old bluesman and the modern optics of a pop star”. Your relationship with the age-old trappings and traditions of the blues is complicated, isn’t it?

I think so. I don’t consider myself a traditional blues artist.

Has it always been that way, or did you come to challenge some of those conventions and expectations in later years?

I always identified as a contemporary blues artist. If I can turn one person on to Freddie King, then that’s great, but I bring a little more of a modern edge. And yet it’s tough because everything I do is rooted in the blues. Early on, I played a lot of blues, but I also grew up listening to rock‘n’roll and pop music, Americana and country. I honour all of that. My goal these days is to write great songs.

Will you be playing a lot of songs from Paper Doll at the upcoming UK shows?

This isn’t my first visit for this album, and I don’t like playing the same show twice in the same city, so I keep a list of my setlists. It’s always a bit of a delicate balancing act to keep new fans happy as well as the old hardcore ones, but I do the best that I can.

Samantha Fish - Kick Out the Jams (Live at Bijou Theatre) - YouTube

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Including a London date at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, this eight-show UK headline run is your biggest yet.

Each time I come to the UK things get better and better. It took a while to gain any traction over there; I guess you guys have high standards. I feel so honoured because it’s not an easy place to become successful.

Were you involved in picking The Zac Schulze Gang as the special guests?

I love those guys. They’re so great on stage and they’re such cool people. When you like everybody you’re touring with it makes things so much easier.

In 2024 you opened for the Rolling Stones at a gig in Missouri. Was that slightly surreal?

It still doesn’t feel totally real. For years when people asked about my dream band to open for and I would always reply the Stones, as I never thought it might happen. But we got to do it twice, actually. It was such a cool experience. At one point I looked over my shoulder, saw Ronnie Wood and thought: “That’s nice!” I didn’t meet them, but I waved at them from a gold cart.

For the uninitiated, what’s your show like?

I like to bring energy but there’s also a lot of depth. It’s all about hooking people in and keeping them hooked, making them stamp their feet for two hours.

Samantha Fish's European tour begins on February 27 in York. For full dates and tickets, visit the Samantha Fish website.

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.

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