GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and singer Samantha Fish will release her first official live album, Paper Doll Live, on June 12, 2026, capturing the energy and power of her acclaimed stage performances. Recorded at the historic Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, the album documents Fish and her band in front of a packed audience, delivering a performance that reflects the intensity and chemistry that have made her one of the most exciting performers in modern blues and roots music.
The release arrives following the success of Fish’s studio album Paper Doll, which earned a GRAMMY nomination and was voted Blues Rock Review’s #1 Album of 2025 in the publication’s annual reader and staff poll. The new live record offers fans a chance to hear the songs in their most natural environment: on stage.
“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 Bijou Theatre, the album captures the group fully locked in with an enthusiastic crowd. The venue’s acoustics and intimate setting helped create the ideal environment for the recording, which is further elevated by guest appearances from Nashville gospel legends The McCrary Sisters, whose harmonies add emotional depth 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 a celebratory atmosphere 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 performance captured on Paper Doll Live highlights the way Fish’s songs evolve on stage. Studio fade-outs become explosive climaxes and arrangements stretch beyond their original versions. Tracks like “Lose You” build with mounting intensity, while “Sweet Southern Sounds” allows Fish to lean into hypnotic North Mississippi-inspired guitar phrasing. The title track “Paper Doll” arrives as a defiant anthem that ignites audiences night after night.
The album also includes a cover of MC5’s classic “Kick Out the Jams.”
For Fish, the difference between recording in the studio and performing live is fundamental.
“The studio is where you build and create your sound,” Fish 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.”
Fish’s path as a live performer stretches back to her teenage years in Kansas City, where she famously cold-called local bars looking for gigs. Since then, she has built a reputation as one of the most dynamic touring artists in blues and roots music, blending fierce guitar playing with emotionally powerful vocals.
Her influences range widely, drawing from artists such as Prince and Leonard Cohen as well as the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues. That wide musical palette has helped shape a live show that balances raw power with emotional nuance.
With Paper Doll Live, Fish is not trying to reinvent her sound but rather to document the electricity that happens when her band and audience meet in real time.
“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.”
To support the release, Fish will take the Paper Doll Live material on the road with a new international tour beginning April 24 in New Orleans.
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
CD TRACKLIST
01. Kick Out The Jams – Live
02. Paper Doll – Live
03. Can Ya Handle The Heat? – Live
04. I’m Done Runnin’ – Live
05. Lose You – Live
06. Sweet Southern Sounds – Live
07. Bulletproof – Live
08. Miles To Go – Live
09. Fortune Teller – Live
10. Better Be Lonely – Live
11. Dream Girl – Live
12. Don’t Say It – Live
13. Poor Black Mattie – Live
14. Rusty Razor – Live
15. Black Wind Howlin’ – Live
LP TRACKLIST
Side A
1. Paper Doll – Live
2. Can Ya Handle The Heat? – Live
3. I’m Done Runnin’ – Live
4. Lose You – Live
5. Sweet Southern Sounds – LiveSide B
6. Fortune Teller – Live
7. Don’t Say It – Live
8. Rusty Razor – Live
9. Black Wind Howlin’ – Live
Side B
6. Fortune Teller – Live
7. Don’t Say It – Live
8. Rusty Razor – Live
9. Black Wind Howlin’ – Live
TOUR DATES
4.10 Miramar Beach, FL Joe Bonamassa Beach Weekend
4.11 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre*
4.12 St Petersburg, FL Tampa Bay Blues Festival*
4.15 Savannah, GA District Live at Plant Riverside District*
4.16 Gainesville, FL Heartwood Soundstage*
4.17 Dothan, AL Dothan Opera House*
4.18 Meredian, MS MSU Riley Center*
4.19 Sandy Springs, GA Byers Theatre at Sandy Springs PAC*
4.24 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
4.25 New Orleans, LA Jazz & Heritage Festival
4.28 New Orleans, LA Chickie Wah Wah
5.01 New Orleans, LA Fillmore
5.02 Biloxi, MS IP Casino Resort & Spa
5.05 Decatur, AL The Princess Theatre
5.07 Springfield, MO Gillioz Theatre
5.08 Kansas City, MO Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City
5.09 St Louis, MO Atomic
5.10 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
5.13 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre
5.14 Marion, IL Marion Cultural & Civic Cebter
5.16 Welch, MN Treasure Island Casino**
5.17 Des Plaines, IL The Des Plaines Theatre
5.19 Warrendale, PA Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
5.20 State College, PA The State Theatre
5.21 Troy, NY Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
5.22 Ledyard, CT Foxwoods Resort Casino**
5.23 Beverly, MA The Cabot
5.24 Nashua, NH Nashua Center for the Arts
5.27 Patchogue, NJ Patchogue Theatre
5.28 Syracuse, NY Westcott Theater
5.29 Lebanon, NH Levanon Opera House
5.30 Augusta, NJ Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest
5.31 Buffalo, NY Babeville
6.19 Grolloo, Netherlands Holland Intl Blues Festival
6.20 Dortmund, Germany Musiktheater Piano
6.21 Chiari, Italy Istituto Salesiaino “San Bernadino”
6.23 Loceri, Italy Parco Urbano
6.25 Rubigen, Switzerland Muhle Hunziken
6.27 Vienne, France Jazz a Vienne
6.28 Erlangen, Germany E-Werk Kino
6.30 Mannheim, Germany 7er-Club
7.01 Aschaffenburg, Germany Colos-Saal
7.02 Hamburg, Germany Fabrik
7.04 Helsinki Puisto Blues
7.07 Warszawa, Poland Klub Hydrozagadka
7.08 Gdynia, PL Podeorko Art
9.18-19 Telluride, CO Telluride Blues & Brews Fest
10.31 West Hollywood, CA Whisky A Go Go***
*w/Tab Benoit – Two Tours Collide 4.11-4.19
**w/Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
***w/Jesse Dayton
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