Samantha Fish has released “Paper Doll (Live)”, the title track from her forthcoming debut live album Paper Doll Live, due out on 12 June via Rounder Records. The single is accompanied by a live performance video now available on YouTube.
The release marks a significant moment for Fish, who has spent over a decade building her reputation as one of the most compelling live performers in contemporary blues and roots music. Where studio recordings capture craft and intention, live performance has always been where Fish makes her most direct statement — and Paper Doll Live is her first official attempt to document that on record.
Recorded at the historic Bijou Theatre, the album captures Fish’s touring band firing on all cylinders in front of a packed crowd. Joining them on stage are The McCrary Sisters, a Nashville-based gospel vocal group with deep roots in American sacred music. Their harmonies add a distinctive layer to what is otherwise a raw, high-energy set.
The tracklist draws heavily from Fish’s 2023 studio album Paper Doll, with performances of “Lose You” and “Sweet Southern Sounds” among the highlights. The set also stretches beyond her own catalogue, closing with a cover of the MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams” — a choice that underlines the visceral, no-holds-barred energy Fish brings to the stage.
“There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums,” Fish said. “The stage lays all of that bare.”
Fish is a two-time Grammy nominee who grew up in Kansas City, a city with a rich blues heritage of its own. Her influences span a broad range — from Prince and Leonard Cohen to the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues — and that eclecticism has always been audible in her live show, which moves fluidly between tenderness and explosive guitar work. Critics have called it “wild, raunchy… an absolute must-see” (Louder Than War) and praised its “savage guitar work and commanding stage presence” (Blues Rock Review).
She has spoken about the journey from her earliest days cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, and described live performance not just as a career tool but as a form of catharsis.
“If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power,” Fish said, “Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed.”
Paper Doll Live is available to pre-order now on vinyl, CD and digital. Fish has also announced additional tour dates, with tickets on sale now.
