Samantha Fish + Jesse Dayton Team Up at the Birchmere

Samantha Fish is a guitar dynamo whose songwriting chops combine genres such as blues, rock, country, funk and bluegrass. Over her career, the award-winning singer-songwriter has recorded six critically acclaimed albums. 

“I used to go to shows when I was 16 and would be inspired so much, I would have to leave halfway through and play my guitar,” Fish says. “So, based on how much it affected me, I knew that I wanted to go out there and perform and do that for a living.” 

Earlier this year, Fish joined forces with Jesse Dayton. Often described by fans as a “country badass,” Dayton has performed alongside the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

Together, Fish and Dayton wrote and recorded a new album, “Death Wish Blues,” slated for release next year. But fans don’t need to wait to hear the duo together, as they are currently on tour, making a much-anticipated stop at The Birchmere on Dec. 12.

The gig will showcase several of the new songs on their forthcoming collaboration, as well as hits from both Fish and Dayton. 

“I’ll be playing with my band from my latest album, ‘Faster,’ and it’s going to be high energy and a lot of guitars,” Fish says. “We have some great fans in the D.C. area, and over the years we have come out and worked through a variety of different albums, so we’ll focus on the new record and some old favorites.”

Fish wrote her seventh studio album, “Faster,” during the pandemic, focusing on writing while in lockdown. 

“This album is the culmination of all that time,” Fish says. “I feel like there is a juxtaposition with how the record turned out than how I was actually feeling when I wrote it. At the time, everyone was isolated and it was dark and gloomy, but the record came out the opposite. It’s very empowering and danceable.”

While Fish hears a lot of pop melodies in the hooks, her songs are still rooted in the blues, and she believes she has ventured out into bold new sonic territory with the album, which was produced by Martin Kierszenbaum. 

“There wasn’t a lot I could do because of the pandemic, but we put out some livestreams and I thought about what I had to offer when the world opened back up — that became my primary focus,” Fish says. “So, for the new record, I thought about whether it was time to reinvent myself. The whole record has a theme of taking charge and taking the reins, in a relationship or in life in general.” 

Fish has played more than 200 dates in 2022. Recently back from a long European tour, she is thrilled to be playing stateside with Dayton and his band.  

“I’m really excited about our album. This was a chance for me to work with one of my favorite people on the planet music-wise,” Fish says. “Jon Spencer (of Blues Explosion fame) produced the album, and it was really cool because I hadn’t done a collaborative project in a while — really since my intro 10 years ago with the Blues Caravan. Jesse and I both come from different genres, so it’s very unique. It was a good challenge and I learned a lot working with both Jesse and John.” 

Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton perform at The Birchmere Dec. 12. For tickets and more information, click here. The pair’s forthcoming collaborative album, “Death Wish Blues,” comes out spring 2023. To see Fish and Dayton’s upcoming tour dates and learn more, click here.

Samantha Fish: samanthafish.com // @samanthafishmusic

Jesse Dayton: jessedayton.com // @jessedayton

The Birchmere: 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA; birchmere.com // @thebirchmere

Keith Loria

A theatre buff and huge music fan, Keith Loria is a D.C.-based award-winning journalist who has been writing about the arts for more than 20 years. He started his career with the Associated Press and has written for Soap Opera Digest, Playbill and Music Review. He looks forward to 2021 and the theaters reopening! He’s the proud father of two daughters, who often accompany him on his theater outings. Visit his website at keithloria.contently.com.