Produced by Bobby Harlow (King Tuff, The Gap Dream, White Fang and frontman for The Go, a band that also featured Jack White) and including members of The Detroit Cobras, the project features a collection of retro covers.
We caught up with Fish by phone to talk about the album and the upcoming RiversEdge concert in Hamilton.
Q: What can audiences expect from your show?
A: "What they can expect is a mix of old and new songs. We are playing a lot of songs off 'Chills & Fever,' the new record, but we are still mixing in some fan favorites. The set's been changing day-to-day. I can't guarantee what we're going to play, exactly, but I do know it's going to be a high-energy set. … It's a lot of fun."
Q: Have you played in town before?
A: "Oh, yeah, we've in played Cincinnati and Lexington. I don't think we've ever played Hamilton, but I've been in the Cincinnati area a few times."
Q: Tell me about the new project. I understand you worked with some other seasoned musicians on it. What was that experience like?
A: "We recorded the new album in Detroit. It's called 'Chills & Fever.' We recorded it at a recording studio called The 45 Factory, which was a crazy little studio, but they had all this amazing, vintage gear and vintage microphones. It was small, but it was really cozy and perfect for what we were doing. We brought in three members of The Detroit Cobras, which included Joe Mazzola on guitar, Steve Nawara on bass, Kenny Tudrick on drums, and then a keyboard player from Detroit named Bob Mervak, and we brought up two horn players from New Orleans with Mark Levron on trumpet and Travis Blotsky on saxophone and myself. It was produced by Bobby Harlow. It's an album that's made up of covers from the 1950s and 1960s. … It was a good time to come through and remake these timeless classic songs, put my stamp on it, breathe new life into it and make a fun, rock 'n' roll soul album."
Q: Will you be performing by yourself or with a band?
A: "I have a full, six-piece band with me on the road. Kenny, the drummer from the session is now with me on the road. In the horn section, Mark and Travis, they are with me on the road. I have a keyboard player out of New Orleans, Phil Breen and my longtime bass player, Chris Alexander from Austin, Texas. We go out as a six-piece band. I play the guitar and I sing."
Q: How are fans responding to the new album?
A: "It's been getting a great response. It's been up in the Billboard blues charts since it came out, top 10, usually. It really has been doing well."
Q: Where are you based out of? What are you working on this summer?
A: "I am from Kansas City, Missouri, but I just relocated to New Orleans, which is where most of the band is based out of, so it made a lot of sense. We are touring heavy and hard throughout the summer. We are on the road right now. We're really not stopping."
Q: Is there anything you’d say to those in Hamilton?
A: "Check us out online, so they can get a good vibe for what to expect. There's a lot of videos on YouTube with the new band. … They can find me online at www.samanthafish.com, or they can find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I'm all over the web. We are excited to be playing there."
Contact this contributing writer at gmwriteon@aol.com.
How to go
What: Samantha Fish with special guest AJ Ghent Band at RiversEdge
When: Thursday, June 8. Doors 5:30 p.m.; first set 6:30 and second set 8:30.
Where: RiversEdge Amphitheater, 116 Dayton St., Hamilton
Admission: Free
More info: www.riversedgelive.com/lineup2017 and www.facebook.com/HamiltonRiversEdge. Visit Samantha Fish online at www.samanthafish.com and AJ Ghent Band at www.ajghentband.com.
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