For blues guitarist Samantha Fish, capturing the spirit of her incendiary live sets was a priority heading into the recording of her ninth studio album, last year’s Paper Doll.
Working with drummer Jamie Douglass, bassist Ron Johnson and keyboard player Mickey Finn on the record and on the road, the songs began to take on new life as the group continued to gel during a lengthy tour in support of the album.
On the new Paper Doll Live (available on CD, vinyl or for online streaming via Rounder Records), Fish’s first live album, the Paper Doll cuts are paired alongside tracks from throughout her fiery blues canon.
Recorded at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, Fish is joined on the new live project by Nashville-based Gospel group the McCrary Sisters, who’ve worked with artists like Carrie Underwood and Margo Price and add a layer of lush backing vocals to a record ripping with energy (as evidenced on performances like a rousing rendition of the MC5 punk anthem “Kick Out the Jams”).
“This is just something for the fans,” explained Fish prior to a recent performance alongside Tab Benoit at Chicago’s Park West. “People are like, ‘Why are you doing it?’ Because it’s for the fans. And we can,” she continued. “I think it’ll be a nice move into what comes next.”
I spoke with Samantha Fish, who launches a European tour June 19, 2026 before returning to America in July, about her favorite live albums, recording at the Bijou and capturing the spirit of her live set on her first live record. A transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below.
Jim Ryan: Any favorite live albums that stick out for you as a fan?
Samantha Fish: Putting me on the spot… We cover the MC5. “Kick Out the Jams” is very live! I like Aretha at the Fillmore. That’s pretty great. Of course, Donny Hathaway. When he records at the Troubador and he’s in New York. That Donny Hathaway record is incredible. And it’s live! How did he do that, you know? It’s pretty amazing. Those are some of my favorites.
Ryan: I feel like I remember you telling me that with the Paper Doll studio album, it was important to capture the live spirit. And you recorded it live with the band for the first time. What made it so important to capture that on Paper Doll?
Fish: I think that’s always the goal really. I’ve had people come up over the years and say, “I like your records. But, man, the show is where it’s at.” My producer Bobby Harlow, before he was the producer of Paper Doll, came out and saw me at St. Andrews’ Hall in Detroit. He produced Chills & Fever years back and we remained friends. But he saw the band. And he said, “You’ve gotta figure out how to get that contained on a record.”
It’s always the goal. You want everything to sound like it’s got a pulse, right? Going in, we intentionally didn’t use any click tracks or metronomes. And we intentionally did things that sped up and slowed down on the record. It’s really subtle. But it kind of gives it that kind of live element.
But it is important for me. Because that’s what people connect to when they come see us is this energy. And I just wanted to somehow find a way get that into a recording.
Ryan: What made this the moment to capture for Paper Doll Live?
Fish: Well, not to kill the romance, but the label wanted it. That’s the truth. But I’ve always wanted it. Because, again, I have people come up to me over the years and it’s all they want. And I’ve been trying to find time. It’s really about the right circumstances and the right time to do something like that. And everybody was in alignment about it: this record, this band. “We want these songs and we want your show that you’re doing right now.”
Because we’re not just doing Paper Doll. We’ve got other songs from my years of recorded music that we’ve put into the show. So, it just was the right time. And I’m glad.
It’s a good moment to do it.
Ryan: There’s this rich history of live albums and sometimes the venue makes a real difference. What was it like recording this one in Knoxville, Tennessee?
Fish: The Bijou Theatre is a beautiful, old historic room that I’ve performed at numerous times. I never had a thought that we would go and do a live record there. It was a collaboration. The record label is in Nashville. We also had the McCrary Sisters perform with us. And they’re from Nashville. So, it was like, “What’s the closest, best thing? The Bijou! Let’s do it there!”
So, it was really just stars aligning to help figure out the perfect puzzle piece.
Ryan: I was listening to the album earlier and the McCrary Sisters sound fantastic on it. What was it like for you having those additional voices this time around?
Fish: I love them. I’ve been a fan for years. They’re legendary in what they do. I’m a big fan of lush backing vocals just in general.
It’s always the thing I’m trying to tighten up in the show. I think it adds so much drama to everything. And they’re the best at it. That’s why they’re top call for so many bands. You hear them on so many records. Because they come in and nail it. And they did! They’re fun. And they’re easygoing. It was just nice.
It’s another energy on stage to work with. I enjoyed it.
Ryan: I imagine from writing the songs, to recording the songs, to playing them live on stage every night, they change a bit and grow and evolve. Is there a particular moment on the live album that kind of encapsulates that?
Fish: Any time you put a fade-out on the record. That’s an easy one. We had a couple of fade-outs on the record where it was like, “We’ve gotta get creative on how we end this one!” “Lose You” and “Don’t Say It” kind of stretch out and turn into something else. It’s sort of fun to try and figure out how to end something that never had an intentional ending and make it purposeful. So, stuff like that. Just kind of stretching out guitar solos.
For me, occasionally, I’ll hear, “Oh. I really like this melodic phrase that I feel like I heard maybe in the studio or maybe just wasn’t screaming at me as loud while I was recording.” Whereas, now, maybe it’s like, “Oh. This is like another hook within the song…” And then I’ll elaborate on that and build a solo around it.
But a secondary hook? That’s always fun when you find that in songs that you’ve already recorded – but didn’t capture that. And then you can go off into la la land and on it. It’s fun!
