THE MUSICAL GAL WHO ' S THE CAT ' S MEOW
By Christine Fontana
The Critically Acclaimed Singer / Songwriter / Guitarist Releases Her New Album “ Faster ” and Embarks on Tour , Sings the Praises of Black Cats , and is Head Over Stiletto Heels About Her Precious Feline Boys , Mo , Boo and the New Guy , Sunny
Cool cat singer-songwriter guitarist Samantha Fish is ready for a big new era . The beauty with a retro glam aesthetic rocks high heels and cat eyeliner onstage , impresses with her euphonious vocals and goes total beast on guitar , shredding with the requisite acumen and precision to rival the veteran artists she admires . Fish ’ s captivating sound , steeped in blues and rock & roll , is all her own . She ’ s been recognized with prestigious accolades , including Best New Artist Debut at the 2012 Blues Music Awards , and Artist of the Year at OffBeat ’ s 2018 Best of the Beat Awards , and Fish is consistently ranked as a top contemporary blues guitarist . On September 10th , Fish releases Faster , her seventh studio album and her second for Rounder Records . Joining forces with superproducer Martin Kierszenbaum ( Sting , Lady Gaga ), Faster sees Fish ’ s musical prowess soaring to new heights , discussing themes of self-empowerment amid the pandemic lockdowns . Fish cites her beloved cats as excellent muses , pushing the album ’ s composition onward .
“ Man , my boys were deeply involved in my creative process writing for this album !” says Fish . “ I spent more time with them during the pandemic than ever before .” In “ Twisted Ambition ,” the explosive first single off Faster , Fish pounds out an edgy , melodic and addictive hook ; in its accompanying video she takes a sledgehammer to cinderblocks , signifying a grab-by-the-reigns-and-take-control attitude . “ My tour got cancelled last year and at times during the past year I ’ ve felt hopeless ,” says Fish . “ So I wrote an album that was where I wanted to be . Martin ’ s so positive and energetic and he made me feel better . I tried to do justice to who I am and the authenticity of my sound and what I ’ ve built , but I pushed boundaries to go somewhere fresh with it . It ’ s not a blues record , but it helps dry up my blues .”
Her cats are another blues-drying source for Fish . “ I ’ m a huge animal lover ! This is my favorite interview ever because I get to talk about my cats !” says Fish . “ I have two ; I ’ m obsessed with my boys . Mo is my black cat I adopted 12 years ago at Petco in Kansas City . He was the last of his litter ; he was just so perfect ! Mo ’ s been with me since before I played music professionally . He ’ s the sweetest cat , so incredibly smart . Mo ’ s my go-to guy . Mo needed a friend so I got Boo at the Louisiana SPCA two years ago . They had him down as a white Lynx Point tabby ; he was a little snowball with dark markings tipping his ears , nose and tail . Now he ’ s got really cool tabby markings on his face . He ’ s beautiful ! He ’ s smart and sweet too . They
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