As a guitarist and singer-songwriter Samantha Fish seems to have few limits when she composes and performs at concerts. She is known for her blues playing, but is talented enough to play rock, funk, ballads, country, and bluegrass.

Her 7 albums highlight her gifts of musical catharsis and stunning playing on her electric guitar. And her last record, Death Wish Blues was nominated for Best Contemporary Blue Album at the Grammy Awards in 2024. Fish has also been featured in a documentary, Love Letters; Samantha Fish Live From New Orleans presented by Carol Van Productions.

Currently, Fish is on tour across North America and made time for an interview with Jupiter Index.

Jupiter Index: When did you know that you wanted to write and play music for a living?
Samantha Fish: I knew when I was 17 or 18. It was my first experience on a stage that sort of catapulted me in this direction. I just fell in love with the stage and the adrenaline I felt from performing. It connected me to a sense of self that I had been looking for. And it gave me confidence. Writing music gave me a voice. Singing and playing gave me a way of expressing my emotions in a creative way.

JI: How is your music fundamental to you?
SF: Again, I think it goes back to that sense of self. I really found my voice and my confidence through music. It’s how I connected and related to the world around me. And even if I was unable to perform, I think I’d still be writing music with others. Producing. Doing something creative in the music world.

JI: Talk about your songwriting style? Of the many songs that you have written, which one would you say was the hardest to compose?
SF: My songwriting approach is all over the map, but I find my most successful approach has been to start with a melody or some type of hook. Hooks are the hardest thing to come by, so if you can start with that, you can build a story around it. Whether it’s autobiographical or not. I don’t really have an answer for which song was the hardest to write in my catalog. I’ve had songs that have fallen together almost effortlessly. As if they wrote themselves… and then there are songs that require more shaping. Sometimes you walk away and come back. It can be frustrating. Time is a great tool for your perspective.

JI: How have you improved your songwriting over time? Can you say what makes your writing different for you now?
SF: I’d say the biggest improvement that I had as a songwriter… Was when I opened myself up to collaboration. Not because the workload is less (because it’s not), but because you witness someone else’s approach to writing. You can tap into something collective and creative together. That’s when I started to notice the most growth, and then I saw changes when I was working on my own as well.

JI: Which five desert island CDs would you require if alone on a desert island and can you say why?
1. Sticky fingers - Rolling Stones - one of my all-time favorites.

2. Ass pocket of whiskey - RL Burnside - again one of my most influential records, mixing North Hill country blues, and rock ‘n’ roll.

3. Indianola Mississippi Seeds - BB King - it’s a classic B.B. King album, there’s so much dynamic and emotion in his singing and playing. And some of the best songs.

4. Shelby Lynne - I am Shelby Lynne - I just recently reconnected with this record. It really influenced me at an important time. She’s a great writer, great singer.

5. Betty Harris - soul perfection - she’s got so many great soul songs on this record, it’s emotional and deep with roots in New Orleans. It’s a great album. She’s a great artist.


Which five concerts performances have you attended in the past that moved you for the musical ability and skill of the artist/ band? What was it about the show that still stays with you?
1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 10,000 people singing one song for 10,000 different reasons. That’s a great Songwriter and the guitar riffs are iconic.

2. Rolling Stones - this was a double whammy, because we also got to open for them. Seeing their new songs from their new record, Hackney diamonds mixed with their classics, they just put on a timeless show. Greatest rock band in the world

3. Sheryl crow - she was my first concert experience as a kid. That show really changed things for me.

4. NIN - they just put on amazing shows. It was great seeing them in an intimate venue in New Orleans.

5. Tedeschi Trucks Band -seeing that many people on stage build such a big dynamic sound his jaw dropping. And they’re so effective at what they do.


JI: You have a busy tour schedule coming up. Can you share how you get ready for a performance? How will your Austin show be different?
SF: Once sound check happens that’s usually when my show routine begins. There’s a process between picking out wardrobe, writing a set list, doing hair and makeup. Then doing vocal warm-ups. I really like that time to just completely focus on the show.

JI: Would you like to say anything more about your love of music?
SF: For me, it’s always been rooted in connection and understanding. Telling stories in songs that relate to others. I think good songs can make people more empathetic. I think it can open your mind. Music can energize, empower, anger, heal you etc. It can make you feel less alone and introduce you to a community. It can help you find your identity. I don’t really know one other thing that is universally that powerful.

by G.M. Burns