Blues powerhouse, Samantha Fish, and guitarist extraordinaire, Jesse Dayton, unveil the thundering single, Death Wish, from their upcoming collaboration, the album Death Wish Blues out May 19 on Rounder Records. With gritty, dirty hooks alongside fierce vocals from Fish, Death Wish is the perfect kick-off to the album, itself a bold collision of blues, soul, punk, funk, and fantastically greasy rock-and-roll. The Death Wish video captures that dark, raw power as Fish and Dayton take down a predator in retro Hollywood. Watch here. Listen to Death Wish and pre-save Death Wish Blues here.
Death Wish Blues evolved from the duo’s 2022 EP, Stardust Sessions, which featured imaginative covers of Brand New Cadillac, I’ll Be Here in the Morning, and Feelin’ Good.Their undeniable musical chemistry led to a recording session at Applehead Recording & Production in Woodstock, produced by the inimitable Jon Spencer. Spencer’s expertise aligned perfectly with Fish and Dayton’s vision for the release, centred on the blues while constantly augmenting, expanding, and pushing the limits. Dayton said, “For this album we wanted to keep everything blues-based, with a lot of inspiration from people like Albert King and Magic Sam on the lead-guitar parts, but we also wanted to have fun with that and take it somewhere new and different and way outside our wheelhouse.” With the addition of Kendall Wind (bass), Mickey Finn (keyboards) and Aaron Johnston (drums), Death Wish Blues was recorded in an intense 10 days, mostly live.
The commanding chords and words of Death Wish move right into the hypnotic, heavy Down In the Mud. Fish and Dayton trade textured back-and-forth vocals on the groove-heavy Riders, while Trauma surges with momentum while lamenting heartbreak. The album offers lighthearted moments as well, as Supadupabad shines with upbeat carefree lyrics amid blues-funk fun. No Apology finds Fish’s elegant vocals a bit softer but just as crushing and impactful as she longs to push through and make love work. The album closes with the tender love song You Know My Heart, displaying the mesmerizing synergy of Fish & Dayton.
Hailing from Kansas City, MO, Samantha Fish is one of the most dynamic blues forces in the world today, headlining festivals and captivating audiences with her guitar prowess and power vocals. An award-winner and road warrior, she performs 200 shows yearly, both domestically and abroad. Death Wish Blues is her 7th album. Jesse Dayton boasts an exceptional resume as an acclaimed solo recording artist, collaborator with artists such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Duff McKagan, a touring guitarist for seminal punk band X, teammate with Rob Zombie on the soundtracks for his iconic horror films, and as a radio show host on Gimme Country.
