In Conversation With Colin: Samantha Fish

With not a rod in sight, Colin Palmer lands a rather splendid Samantha Fish!

Now based in New Orleans, this Kansas City native returns to Cardiff on October 8th as part of her Bulletproof tour. Speaking from Los Angeles ahead of her UK tour, Samantha Fish chatted to Colin Palmer.

An award-winning singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist, Samantha Fish is known first and foremost for her fretwork and since her debut 2009 album, Live Bait she has wooed fans around the world with her dynamic stage presence and a charisma that many artists struggle to achieve.

Fish has worked at a staggering pace, releasing twelve records. In that time, she has proven herself to be not just a prodigious blues singer and guitarist but one who has refined her unique sound pulling from rock and roll, Americana, country, soul and even pop music with every passing record.

Fish performed in Los Angeles at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads guitar festival, a curated gathering of some of the best guitar players on the planet. Earlier this year, she was nominated for a Grammy award – along with Jessie Dayton – for their collaborative album Death Wish Blues. This summer, she has been playing solo shows and performing as part of Slash’s SERPENT festival tour, a traveling blues extravaganza.

You’re from Kansas City, it’s got a rich musical heritage, were there opportunities to sit in somewhere and play every night of the week if you want.

Absolutely, especially during that time period. There were a lot of young bands as well. You could go sit in somewhere nearly every night if you wanted to. It definitely was a massive part of my development as an artist.

Do you remember the very first time you got on a stage in front of an audience?

Yes. It was a backyard party with an acoustic trio performing called Greg, Rick, and Tom. Probably a couple hundred people there. I was looking at Greg Camp’s guitar, he had this really interesting looking Gibson. He let me play it and basically said go for it during one of their set breaks. I didn’t really have time to get nervous. I remember that moment giving me this incredible rush that I’ve been pursuing ever since.

You seem to have an aggressive touring schedule, do you write songs on the road?

I write songs when and where I can. It’s a full time job. You gotta try to keep that inspiration flowing. Of course, it can be difficult on the road with a full schedule, but I’ve written full albums from the back of buses, vans, in hotel rooms, etc.

Do you get nervous before a concert?

It depends. Some days are worse than others. Sometimes it’s inexplicable. Usually a technical issue will lessen my anxiety, I know that sounds backwards… but sometimes it can prove to be a necessary distraction. I get nervous for all types of reasons, but it usually subsides when I get comfortable.

Do you protect your voice on the road and if so, how?

Sleep, water, warming up… those are my absolute musts. I also have some special drink I make, I have a steam nebulizer, I might pop an Advil or two if things feel swollen. A good diet is important, inflammation is the enemy, so finding out what your triggers are. No smoking… I love coffee and alcohol, but they can dry you out further. Hydration is so important.

How did the gig with the Rolling Stones come about on their Hackney Diamonds tour?

Quint Davis from the New Orleans Jazz Festival invited us to perform on the same day/stage this past spring…he really pursued the second opportunity for us. When they added the extra date, we got the call.

You are coming back to the UK in October on the Bulletproof tour, do you find British audiences more reserved than our American cousins?

Depends on the city! I feel like the Scottish hold nothing back! You guys show up, which is amazing. And everyone has a different way that they appreciate live music. It’s my job to figure out how to engage and interact based on that.

You’ve written songs with Jim McCormick for 10 years, how did you first get introduced to Jim?

 was introduced to Jim McICormick as a lyric doctor through my manager, Rueben Williams. We truly hit it off and have worked together numerous times over the years. I usually write a couple songs with him per album. He and I have a good rhythm and relationship when it comes to writing, I feel like he understands where I’m coming from and we just pull the best out of each other

Colin Palmer