As a relatively young guitarist, 34-year-old Samantha Fish loves "going down the rabbit hole" when it comes to discovering music. Listening to artists like R.L. Burnside and Jon Spencer, she said, served as gateways to an ever-expanding list of discoveries in all genres.
So getting to work with Spencer on her upcoming release, "Deathwish Blues," was a particular thrill. Spencer produced the album, and Fish said in a telephone interview that she was there to observe, absorb and play.
Fish performed and wrote songs for the album with outlaw country artist Jesse Dayton, another favorite of hers. Together, they've released an EP, "The Stardust Sessions," that serves as a prelude to the full-length album, due out this summer.
Among the songs she and Dayton recorded for the EP was "Brand New Cadillac," a Bobby Fuller Four hit redone later by The Clash. Fish said it was the latter version she was familiar with.
For "Deathwish Blues," Spencer brought along several older amplifiers and other vintage gear to the session, done in Woodstock, New York, at a studio called Applehead.
Fish said in a previous interview that she played through large and small amps to get particular sounds.
"He was a great person to work with," she said of Spencer. "His ear as a producer is amazing."
Often tagged as a blues player, and she certainly can hold her own in the genre, Fish is just as comfortable playing rock, country, funk or whatever else moves her. It's part of why she and Spencer, founder of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, clicked. His band dabbled in punk blues, garage rock, rock and alt rock.
"R.L. Burnside and Jon Spencer crossed so many cultural lines, but you can hear the ripples throughout," she said.
Fish has become a semiregular performer in Chattanooga having played at the former Songbirds in 2019 and Walker Theatre in 2021. She will perform on Feb. 7 at Barrelhouse Ballroom along with blues/pop/rock artist Eric Johanson.
In addition to playing clubs and small venues, Fish is a regular on some festival circuits and said she has noticed a change in fans' appetites for discovery. Festival fans are not just interested in hearing the acts familiar to them; they want to find someone new.
"This is a huge shift in festivals everywhere," she said. "People are interested in the experience. They don't need to know the acts because they trust the experience."
She also knows that like her, most festival fans have a diverse musical palette. For Fish, the idea of performing in front of a crowd that doesn't know her work is thrilling and challenging.
"I love that feeling of having to go out and win them over," she said.
What Critics Have Written
“For the last decade, Fish has been one of the most promising young blues performers working, a punchy singer and a rowdy guitarist. “Kill or Be Kind” is her first album for the roots-music powerhouse Rounder, and it demonstrates the range of her palette, which takes in Southern R&B, rockabilly and much more.” — The New York Times
“Fish initially sets her foreboding vocals to a low R&B simmer before her guitar starts raining down incendiary sparks and her singing turns to a full-on, powerful blues wail. All her pyrotechnics serve an emotional purpose, though, as her intertwined guitar solos and vocal melodies are aimed straight at the heart.” — LA Weekly
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.