ArtistDirect News
Samantha Fish Releases First Live Album Paper Doll Live From Knoxvilles Bijou Theatre
On June 12, 2026, Samantha Fish unveiled her first official live album, Paper Doll Live, a full‑band recording from Knoxville’s historic Bijou Theatre. The set opens with the new live single “Rusty Razor Live,” which is accompanied by a concert‑performance video released alongside the album.
The record is distributed through Fish’s label, Rounder Records, and marks a milestone for the two‑time Grammy‑nominated blues and roots guitarist. While Fish has earned a reputation through relentless touring and festival appearances, Paper Doll Live is her inaugural official live release, arriving just before she embarks on a comprehensive international tour across Europe and North America later this year.
The Bijou Theatre, built in 1909 as part of the Lamar House Hotel, has long been a staple for live music in Knoxville. Its intimate setting and historic acoustics shine through the recording. In addition to Fish’s performance, the album features guest spots by Nashville gospel group The McCrary Sisters, whose harmonies inject a gospel layer into several tracks.
Speaking about the album, Fish said, “There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums. The stage lays all of that bare.” She added that the live release offers a fresh perspective on material from her recent studio work, noting, “If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power, Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed.”
Fish’s career began in Kansas City, where she blended traditional blues with rock, roots, and Americana influences. Her catalog includes Runaway, Black Wind Howlin’, Wild Heart, Chills & Fever, Kill Or Be Kind, Faster, and the collaborative album Death Wish Blues with Jesse Dayton. Her latest studio effort, Paper Doll (2025), earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
She has shared stages with the likes of Slash, The Rolling Stones, and performed at major festivals such as the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Fish was inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has collected multiple Blues Music Awards.
The 2026 tour kicks off on June 19 in Grolloo, Netherlands, and will include stops in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Finland, the United States, and Colorado. Key dates include July 23 in Rochester, New York; August 14 in Lincoln, California; September 11 in New Braunfels, Texas; September 16 in Colorado Springs; and October 31 in West Hollywood, California, where she will perform with Jesse Dayton and Indio Downey. Tickets are available through SamanthaFish.com.
Paper Doll Live offers listeners who missed the Knoxville show a close approximation of the concert experience, documenting Fish’s dynamic stage presence at a time when live recordings are gaining renewed importance in artists’ catalogs. The release underscores the value of live albums as historical records of an artist’s evolution and reaffirms Fish’s standing as a leading figure in contemporary blues and roots music.
With the album now available and a full tour underway, Fish continues to broaden her audience while preserving the raw energy of her live performances.
The record is distributed through Fish’s label, Rounder Records, and marks a milestone for the two‑time Grammy‑nominated blues and roots guitarist. While Fish has earned a reputation through relentless touring and festival appearances, Paper Doll Live is her inaugural official live release, arriving just before she embarks on a comprehensive international tour across Europe and North America later this year.
The Bijou Theatre, built in 1909 as part of the Lamar House Hotel, has long been a staple for live music in Knoxville. Its intimate setting and historic acoustics shine through the recording. In addition to Fish’s performance, the album features guest spots by Nashville gospel group The McCrary Sisters, whose harmonies inject a gospel layer into several tracks.
Speaking about the album, Fish said, “There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums. The stage lays all of that bare.” She added that the live release offers a fresh perspective on material from her recent studio work, noting, “If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power, Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed.”
Fish’s career began in Kansas City, where she blended traditional blues with rock, roots, and Americana influences. Her catalog includes Runaway, Black Wind Howlin’, Wild Heart, Chills & Fever, Kill Or Be Kind, Faster, and the collaborative album Death Wish Blues with Jesse Dayton. Her latest studio effort, Paper Doll (2025), earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
She has shared stages with the likes of Slash, The Rolling Stones, and performed at major festivals such as the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Fish was inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has collected multiple Blues Music Awards.
The 2026 tour kicks off on June 19 in Grolloo, Netherlands, and will include stops in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Finland, the United States, and Colorado. Key dates include July 23 in Rochester, New York; August 14 in Lincoln, California; September 11 in New Braunfels, Texas; September 16 in Colorado Springs; and October 31 in West Hollywood, California, where she will perform with Jesse Dayton and Indio Downey. Tickets are available through SamanthaFish.com.
Paper Doll Live offers listeners who missed the Knoxville show a close approximation of the concert experience, documenting Fish’s dynamic stage presence at a time when live recordings are gaining renewed importance in artists’ catalogs. The release underscores the value of live albums as historical records of an artist’s evolution and reaffirms Fish’s standing as a leading figure in contemporary blues and roots music.
With the album now available and a full tour underway, Fish continues to broaden her audience while preserving the raw energy of her live performances.