‘Girls don’t do that’: Blues festival’s Samantha Fish

It’s possible to count, on maybe a hand and a half, the number of women playing electric blues guitar, leading bands and thrilling worldwide audiences on a regular basis.

Hey, it’s a lot better than it was in the old days. “The only reason you’re seeing more women playing music now is because of the internet,” says guitarist Samantha Fish, who’ll perform at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival this weekend. “It’s opened our eyes to a number of artists that have been unable to get record deals, that weren’t pushed to radio. There was no representation.”

A 37-year-old native of Kansas City, Missouri, Fish is one of the most popular blues guitarists on the circuit today. She is also a singer and songwriter who imbues the music she makes with elements of heavy rock ‘n’ roll (early heroes included Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page), jazz and R&B.

Her roots, though are in Tennessee Hill Country blues guitar, and in the searing Texas-style shredding of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

“This is part of the human psyche, both boys and girls,” Fish continues. “If you don’t see it happening, there’s something in your brain that’s wired to think maybe you can’t do it. And I remember specifically, because I was like 15, when I started playing acoustic guitar. Just chords, just strummin’ and singin.’ I was watching Stevie Ray Vaughan videos and AC/DC videos and like ‘Man, I really want to play lead guitar.’ But I didn’t really see any women playing the guitar.

“I never verbalized this, but I remember thinking ‘Girls don’t do that.’ And I didn’t do it, for a couple years. It put me off a couple years of trying.

“Now we can see it because the internet has blown the world wide open. It’s not because the music industry has changed. There’s still sexism, there’s still inequality, there’s still not equal pay for women doing the same job as men, bringing in the same number of people.”

Fish and her band play close to 200 dates each year. Her most recent album, 2025’s Paper Doll, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues chart and was nominated for a Grammy. “Overall,” wrote Blues Rock Review, “Paper Doll is bold, fun, dynamic, and driven by a clear artistic voice. You get the sense Fish and her band had a blast making it, and that feeling is contagious.”

It’s her seventh studio production.

“The idea is that as you go, you’re going to get more self assured, right?” Fish says. “And hopefully you’re feeling a little more grounded and confident in who you are. Just where I’m at in my career, I’ve made a lot of records at this point, and I intend to make more. I always hope that they’re getting better, and I truly believe that they are.”

Next out of the gate, coming in June, is her first major-label live album. Shows were recorded in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“We’ve recorded a song here or there live. We’ve done some live sessions with Paste and Relix, just for them. And that was great, but this is a little different. We filmed it. We brought in the McCrary Sisters to sing on it.

“It felt like a good time to capture what we do live. Our fans have been asking for a live record for years. This is really for the fans.”

Although her guitar prowess is Fish’s calling card, she’s justifiably proud of her song-crafting abilities. “I live by the mantra that the song will tell you what it needs,” she explains. “You play to serve the song, and if the song doesn’t call for a rippin’ solo, then you don’t put it on the song.

“Obviously because of who I am, I’ll never put out a record without some kind of guitar moment. That’s what my fans expect; that’s what I expect from myself.

“What I like most about being an artist is that I have the freedom to change my mind. I think that’s the way to be your most authentic self, is to follow what’s most striking to you right now. Chase that muse, or whatever.”

She intends to chase it wherever it takes her.

“It’s still hard,” Fish confesses. “And I’ve faced a lot of people talking shit; ‘She’s just got what she’s got cause she’s a girl.’ I’ve gotten what I’ve got in spite of being a girl.

“I’m so happy to see more women picking up instruments. What’s also refreshing is seeing more women in venues, holding down sound engineer positions, lighting positions, setting the stage. I never saw that 15, 20 years ago.

“There is something to: If you can see it happening, then you can believe you can do it yourself.”

Samantha Fish and her band play at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12.

 The Tampa Bay Blues Festival, April 10-12 at St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park, also features headliners Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Los Lobos, Tab Benoit, Jimmy Vaughan and others. For all information, and to purchase tickets, visit the official website.