Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs

Even after more than fifty years in the music business, where he’s attained legendary status thanks to his work with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, guitarist Mike Campbell hasn’t become jaded about releasing new work into the world—as he’ll do on March 4 when his band, Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs, put out their second album, External Combustion. “We’re excited as hell! I love the record and can’t wait to get it out there,” Campbell tells American Songwriter, calling from his L.A. home.

External Combustion follows up the band’s debut, Wreckless Abandon, which came out in 2020—but The Dirty Knobs go back much further than that: Campbell estimates he formed this group about 20 years ago as a side project he could do between Heartbreakers tours, “so we know each other really well, and there’s an organic chemistry there that’s very comfortable for me,” he says. The lineup consists of Campbell, guitarist Jason Sinay, bassist Lance Morrison, and drummer Matt Laug. For External Combustion, they also brought in notable guest musicians: Margo Price, Ian Hunter, and Campbell’s former Heartbreakers bandmate, keyboardist Benmont Tench. 

With the end of the Heartbreakers after Tom Petty’s passing in 2017, Campbell realized that he still wanted to remain a member of a group, so he decided to make The Dirty Knobs a main focus. “My mindset is to be part of the band—I never wanted to be a solo artist,” he says. “I just feel comfortable with a gang around me. That’s the way I grew up, and that’s what I like to do now. It’s the most fun when you have your friends with you, and you can make music together.”