Mike Campbell doesn’t need to prove anything. As the longtime guitarist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, he helped craft some of the greatest rock songs of all time. But that hasn’t stopped him from pushing forward. With Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, the third album from The Dirty Knobs, Campbell expands his signature rock-boogie sound into something even bigger.
“This time, I wanted to develop the songwriting on a wider scope,” Campbell tells me. “The first two albums were mostly boogie rock and roll, which we still are. But we’re more than that, and I have more to offer.”
The new album finds The Dirty Knobs stepping out of their comfort zone while keeping their raw, live energy intact. With guest appearances from Graham Nash, Lucinda Williams, and Chris Stapleton, Campbell is stacking the deck with legends, but his own voice as a songwriter and frontman continues to evolve.
Why Keep Making New Music?
For someone with nothing left to prove, Campbell is still working like a man with everything to gain. In just five years, he’s released three albums with The Dirty Knobs—a pace more expected from a young band trying to make a name for themselves. But for Campbell, making music isn’t a choice.
“When you have the songwriting bug, you don’t really have a choice,” he says. “I love to write, I love to play in the studio, and I love playing in front of people. The choice was made decades ago—this is what I was gonna do.”
Despite decades in the business, Campbell says Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits feels like starting over.
“It’s exciting,” he says. “Writing and singing is a new experience for me, and I just want to keep getting better.”
Working with Legends
Campbell called in some heavy hitters for Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits. Graham Nash lends his iconic voice to Dare to Dream, adding a Hollies-style harmony that Campbell still can’t believe happened.
“I asked him if he’d sing on a song, and he said, ‘Sure, I’ll make your song better,’” Campbell recalls. “I still can’t believe Graham Nash is on my record.”
Lucinda Williams joins him on Hell or High Water, a collaboration that’s been years in the making.
“She’s shy, but God, is she good,” Campbell says. “She brings such a depth of soul to the song. It’s like a little mini-movie of these two characters getting through a challenging situation. She made the song twice as good.”
Chris Stapleton also makes an appearance, not just on Campbell’s album but on the upcoming Petty Country tribute, where he covers I Should Have Known It—a song Campbell says Stapleton was born to sing.
“I’ve played it with him live a few times, and he nails it every time,” Campbell says.
The Song That Keeps Coming Back
Campbell also appears on Petty Country, covering Ways to Be Wicked, a song he co-wrote with Tom Petty that was originally recorded by Lone Justice before resurfacing on Petty’s Playback box set.
“It held on to me—I didn’t go dragging it through the mud,” Campbell laughs. “It’s just a really good song.”
It’s also one that keeps finding new life. Margot Price recorded it for the Petty Country album, and Campbell says it might even make its way into The Dirty Knobs’ live set.
“Tom wrote a great lyric,” he says. “‘You have so many ways to be wicked, but you don’t know one little thing.’ That’s Tom all the way. The song has its own life.”
Reuniting The Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan
Last year, Campbell and Benmont Tench quietly reunited as The Heartbreakers for an unannounced performance with Bob Dylan at Farm Aid—revisiting their legendary 1986-87 run as Dylan’s backing band.
“I got a call saying Bob wants to do Farm Aid and wants me to put the band together,” Campbell says. “He wanted to do some old songs he doesn’t do anymore. It came together really fast, it was ragged, but it had a lot of energy.”
The moment was a surprise for the audience, and even for Campbell, it was surreal.
“I’ve talked to people who were there, and they were like, ‘We didn’t know what was happening, then suddenly—oh my God, it’s Bob, it’s Mike and Ben!’” he says.
A Legacy and a Future
With The Dirty Knobs, Campbell honors his past while moving forward. He’s not just playing old Heartbreakers songs—though he’ll throw them into the set as a tribute to his late bandmate—but continuing to challenge himself as a songwriter and frontman.
“I try to honor my legacy,” he says. “I’m very proud of my time with the Heartbreakers, but I don’t want to just do that. You have to grow and push yourself. The Dirty Knobs allow me to do that.”
With Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, Campbell proves once again that he’s far from done. And if the songs keep coming, you can bet he’ll keep playing them.
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