Samantha Fish Previews 'Paper Doll Live' With 'Don't Say It'
(devious planet) Following her eighth triumphant appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Samantha Fish has released "Don't Say It," the latest single from her forthcoming live album, Paper Doll Live, due June 12th via Rounder Records.
Fish's first official live album, Paper Doll Live captures the electrifying stage presence that has made her one of the most compelling performers in modern blues and roots music. Recorded at the historic Bijou Theatre, the album documents a band firing on all cylinders in front of a packed crowd, elevated by the soaring harmonies of Nashville gospel legends The McCrary Sisters.
"'Don't Say It' is one of those songs that builds gradually - a slow-burn reveal where one person is fighting for the validity of a relationship while the other is emotionally checked out," says Fish. "It was incredible having the McCrary Sisters on this track. They weave in and out of the harmonies and add so much heart and depth."
The two-time GRAMMY nominee has built her reputation the old-school way: onstage, with a live show critics have called "wild, raunchy... an absolute must-see" (Louder Than War) and praised for its "savage guitar work and commanding stage presence" (Blues Rock Review). Paper Doll Live captures that energy in full force - raw, immediate, and impossible to fake.
From towering performances of "Lose You" and "Sweet Southern Sounds" to a blistering rendition of Kick Out the Jams, the album showcases a band fully immersed in the moment - unfiltered, ferocious, and deeply connected to its audience.
"There's a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn't always translate in studio albums," Fish says. "The stage lays all of that bare."
Emerging from Kansas City's blues lineage and shaped by influences ranging from Prince and Leonard Cohen to the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues, Fish has spent her career turning live performance into both proving ground and catharsis. From cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, she has forged a live show that balances grit, vulnerability, and explosive musicianship.
"If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power," Fish says, "Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed."
With Paper Doll Live, Samantha Fish delivers more than a concert recording - she captures the visceral connection that has made her one of the most celebrated live performers in contemporary roots music today.
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