Article Contributed by Devious Planet
Published on 2026-04-10
GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and singer Samantha Fish will release Paper Doll Live, her first official live album, capturing the electrifying stage presence that has made her one of the most compelling performers in modern blues and roots music.
A leading guitarist of her generation, Fish is known for her bold musicianship, emotional depth, and fearless songwriting. A multi-award-winning festival headliner, she has built her reputation on explosive live performances that blend raw guitar power with deeply expressive vocals. Following the critical success of her GRAMMY-nominated album Paper Doll, the new live record showcases the intensity and chemistry that define her shows night after night.
“Truly, this is for the fans,” Fish says of making her first official live record. “We’ve had numerous requests over the years. Paper Doll felt so great on stage — it felt like the perfect time to showcase the band and our live show.”
Recorded at the historic Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, Paper Doll Live captures a band fully locked in and feeding off a packed crowd. The venue’s natural warmth and acoustics created an ideal setting for the recording, elevated even further by the addition of Nashville gospel legends The McCrary Sisters, whose soaring harmonies bring added depth and emotion to the performance.
“Their voices lifted every song,” Fish says. “I love beautiful backing vocals — they pack an emotional punch. I’ve been a fan of them for years, so that was really special for me.”
Fans traveled from across the country to attend the recording, creating an atmosphere of anticipation and celebration inside the theater.
“Our fans aren’t afraid to travel,” Fish says. “When we announced the show, people got excited. I think that build-up always helps make a better show.”
The result is a performance that feels both ferocious and communal — a moment where the band, the songs, and the audience meet in real time. While the studio album Paper Doll marked a breakthrough in Fish’s artistic confidence, the live setting strips away polish and leaves only instinct.
“There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums,” Fish says. “The stage lays all of that bare.”
Songs evolve and expand in the live environment. Outros stretch. Studio fade-outs become powerful climaxes. Tracks like “Lose You” build with relentless momentum, while “Sweet Southern Sounds” allows Fish to lean into her hypnotic North Mississippi-inspired guitar phrasing. The title track “Paper Doll” lands as a defiant anthem night after night, igniting crowds with its refusal to conform.
And when the band launches into a blistering cover of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams,” the room detonates.
For Fish, the difference between studio and stage is elemental.
“The studio is where you build and create your sound,” she says. “The stage is where you execute all of that. Having a crowd takes you out of your head and gives you something to play off.”
Emerging from Kansas City’s blues lineage and shaped by influences ranging from Prince and Leonard Cohen to the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues, Fish has long treated performance as her proving ground. From cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, she has developed a live show that balances catharsis and control, boldness and vulnerability.
With Paper Doll Live, she isn’t reinventing herself — she’s documenting the power of what she and her band do every night.
“I just wanted to capture what we do every night,” Fish says. “It wasn’t about chasing something new. It was about capturing the thing that has connected so deeply over the years.”
If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power, Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed — immediate, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore.
DIGITAL TRACKLIST
01. Kick Out The Jams - Live
02. Paper Doll - Live
03. Can Ya Handle The Heat? - Live
04. I Put A Spell On You - Live
05. I’m Done Runnin’ - Live
06. Lose You - Live
07. Sweet Southern Sounds - Live
08. Bulletproof - Live
09. Miles To Go - Live
10. Fortune Teller - Live
11. Better Be Lonely - Live
12. Dream Girl - Live
13. Don’t Say It - Live
14. Poor Black Mattie - Live
15. Rusty Razor - Live
16. Black Wind Howlin’ - Live
ABOUT SAMANTHA FISH
Samantha Fish is a 2x GRAMMY-nominated guitarist, singer, and songwriter widely recognized as one of the most dynamic artists in contemporary blues and roots music. The Kansas City Hall of Famer and multiple Blues Music Award-winner is known for her explosive guitar work, powerhouse vocals, and fearless songwriting. She has built a global following through relentless touring and critically acclaimed releases. Her solo albums — Runaway (2011), Black Wind Howlin’ (2013), Wild Heart (2015), Chills & Fever (2017), Kill or Be Kind (2019), Faster (2021), collaborating with Jesse Dayton on Deathwish Blues (2023), and Paper Doll (2023), have all topped the Billboard Blues Charts. A commanding live performer, Fish has toured internationally, performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, shared stages with artists including Slash and The Rolling Stones, and has performed as part of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival. She continues to push boundaries while delivering electrifying shows that connect deeply with audiences worldwide.
