Samantha Fish Announces First Official Live Album Paper Doll Live

Photo credit: Stefan Meekers/Keys and Chords

Samantha Fish Announces First Official Live Album Paper Doll Live

GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and singer Samantha Fish will release Paper Doll Live, her first official live album, capturing the raw energy and commanding stage presence that have made her one of the most compelling performers in contemporary blues and roots music.

Widely regarded as one of the leading guitarists of her generation, Fish has built a global reputation on bold musicianship, emotional intensity, and fearless songwriting. A multi-award-winning artist and festival headliner, she is known for explosive live shows that fuse searing guitar work with deeply expressive vocals. Following the critical success of her GRAMMY-nominated studio album Paper Doll, the new live release highlights the chemistry, spontaneity, and power that define her performances night after night.

“Truly, this is for the fans,” Fish says. “We’ve had numerous requests over the years. Paper Doll felt so great on stage — it was 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, feeding off the energy of a packed house. The venue’s warm acoustics provide an ideal backdrop, further elevated by the addition of The McCrary Sisters, whose soaring harmonies bring added depth and soul 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 charged with anticipation. “Our fans aren’t afraid to travel,” Fish notes. “When we announced the show, people got excited. That build-up always helps make a better show.”

The result is a performance that feels both ferocious and communal — a moment where band, songs, and audience connect in real time. While the studio album marked a breakthrough in artistic confidence, the live setting strips everything back to instinct. “There’s a fire in live performance that doesn’t always translate in the studio,” Fish says. “The stage lays all of that bare.”

Songs evolve in this environment: arrangements stretch, outros expand, and studio fade-outs transform into powerful climaxes. Tracks like “Lose You” build with relentless momentum, while “Sweet Southern Sounds” showcases Fish’s hypnotic, North Mississippi-inspired guitar phrasing. The title track “Paper Doll” emerges as a defiant, crowd-igniting anthem, while a blistering cover of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” brings the room to a boil.

For Fish, the distinction between studio and stage is fundamental. “The studio is where you build and shape your sound,” she explains. “The stage is where you execute it. Having a crowd takes you out of your head and gives you something to play off.”

Emerging from Kansas City’s rich blues tradition and shaped by influences ranging from Prince and Leonard Cohen to Mississippi Hill Country blues, Fish has long treated live performance as her proving ground. From cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, she has developed a show that balances catharsis with precision, power with vulnerability.

With Paper Doll Live, Fish isn’t reinventing her sound — she’s capturing its essence. “I just wanted to document what we do every night,” she says. “It wasn’t about chasing something new. It was about capturing the connection we’ve built over the years.”
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If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic strength, Paper Doll Live is that power fully unleashed — immediate, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore.

TRACK LISTING – PAPER DOLL LIVE
1. Kick Out The Jams
2. Paper Doll
3. Can Ya Handle The Heat
4. I Put A Spell On You
5. I’m Done Running
6. Lose You
7. Sweet Southern Sounds
8. Bulletproof
9. Miles to Go
10. Fortune Teller
11. Better Be Lonely
12. Dream Girl
13. Don’t Say It
14. Poor Black Mattie
15. Rusty Razor
16. Miles to Go
17. Fortune Teller
18. You Better Be Lonely
19. Dream Girl
20. Don’t Say It
21. Poor Black Mattie
22. Rusty Razor
23. Black Wind Howlin



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