Contemporary blues artist, Samantha Fish, known for her powerful vocals and captivating performance ability, is a must-see at the 2022 Double Decker Arts Festival.
Photo courtesy: Kevin & King.
Fish will take the stage this Saturday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m. Her Double Decker performance is one of 17 scheduled in her band’s current tour, which includes 50 performances scheduled through March of 2023. The band also plans to visit ten countries total.
Their current tour is centered around Fish’s eighth album, “Faster,” which she wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When everything shut down, I started writing,” Fish said. “I wanted to make something that made people feel good.”
Inspired by producer Martin Kierszenbaum, Fish decided to write about how she wanted to feel as opposed to the reality of such a gloomy time for the world.
“These songs are confident, they’re empowering,” Fish said. “Faster is about having control over your life and feeling your own inner power.”
Released on September 10, 2021, “Faster” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album chart, No. 2 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album Chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Rock Album Chart.
“Through the process of making that album, I started to feel like there is hope for music and arts. We can find a way to get through it,” Fish said. “My job is to write something that can connect to people — that tells a universal truth. Because after you put the song out, it’s not yours anymore. It’s everybody else’s.”
She grew up listening to classic rock bands, such as AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and many others.
“I learned to play guitar by playing along to my heroes,” Fish said. “I started digging into who they were inspired by — it was the blues.”
Fish began her career in her hometown, Kansas City, Missouri.
According to Fish, it is a place with “a great contemporary scene” and “long, rich history of jazz and blues music.”
In Kansas City, there’s “a jam every night of the week,” Fish said. Through attending jams, as both a performer and audience member, Fish learned fellow blues musicians and was able to come into her own.
“I was able to learn how to play in a band, how to be on a stage, how to improvise within my form,” Fish said. “The combination of loving and learning about the blues is what got me started.”
Since her humble beginnings, Fish has played with many different bands. However, her current band is her favorite.
“My band is very passionate,” Fish said. “When we’re out on stage, we’re looking to make a point.”
The Samantha Fish Band includes herself on vocals and guitar and three other artists from different areas of the country — pianist Matt Wade from New Jersey, bassist Ron Johnson from New Orleans and drummer Sarah Tomek from Nashville.
“Everyone’s funny and likes to have fun.” Fish said.
On a tour bus, close sleeping quarters can lead to tension. However, Fish and her band hold “great respect for each other.”
Fish looks forward to Saturday’s performance because connecting with an audience is “the most incredible feeling in the world.”
“It’s always a great time,” Fish said. For those planning to attend on Saturday, “Bring your comfortable shoes. We’re gonna throw it down.”
