Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs’ ‘Mission of Mercy’ Out Today

Mission of Mercy, the new full-length album from celebrated guitarist and songwriter Mike Campbell, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, and his band The Dirty Knobs, is out now via Soundly Music/Thirty Tigers.

“Mission of Mercy displays Campbell’s full songwriting range…with songs ranging from the unbridled rock and roll of ‘I Remember’ to the Americana ballad ‘More Than Gold,’” proclaims SPIN, adding that “the new album is great.” The Cleveland Plain Dealer notes “Tom Petty’s right-hand man and his own band are even more dialed in on their fourth studio album,” while Glide Magazine raves that “there are a lot of sides to Mike Campbell’s writing, and many of them come out on Mission of Mercy, perhaps more than on any other project.”

In celebration of the new album’s release the band is debuting a new animated video, produced by Awesome, Inc., “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” “Squidbillies,” “Ren & Stimpy,” for the title track; watch/share it HERE. The band previously shared the singles “No Regrets” and “I Remember.”

Mission of Mercy is Campbell’s fourth album with The Dirty Knobs, featuring appearances from the B-52s’ Kate Pierson and Morgane Stapleton alongside the Dirty Knobs’ Chris Holt, guitars, keys, Lance Morrison, bass, and Campbell’s fellow Heartbreaker Steve Ferrone, drums, percussion. Purchase/stream the album HERE and see below for the complete track list.

Campbell states that “Mission Of Mercy is an action-packed collection of tunes that continue the vibe we established as well as some new directions in the songwriting. It’s full-throttle Knobs from start to finish and we look forward to playing these live this year.”

The band is on tour throughout the summer in support of the new record with upcoming performances including his return to Farm Aid — the site of several memorable appearances from Campbell including with the Heartbreakers and Bob Dylan at the inaugural concert in 1985 and most recently in 2023 with a surprise set from Dylan alongside Campbell and members of the Heartbreakers and Dirty Knobs — as well as a date supporting Chris Stapleton.

In addition to touring with The Dirty Knobs, Campbell will unveil a selection of hits from across his career, including a number of tracks by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, arranged for orchestra and performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the Atlanta Symphony Hall on September 12. See below for a list of shows.

Mission of Mercy follows the Dirty Knobs’ 2024 album Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits — the subject of extensive critical acclaim from NPR’s “Fresh Air,” Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, Consequence, Salon and more — and once again finds the band collaborating with co-producers George Drakoulias and Martin Pradler.

Last year saw the release of Campbell’s New York Times Best Selling memoir Heartbreaker, which Rolling Stone hailed as “essential…a vividly told new autobiography,” while the Los Angeles Times praised its “tale of endurance and patience rewarded” and No Depression proclaimed it “does what the best music memoirs do: encourage readers to listen once again, or for the first time, to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and to Campbell’s solo works.” The book is now available in a new paperback edition, available for purchase HERE. See what the press had to say about Heartbreaker HERE.

The Dirty Knobs, named after tech slang for a broken amp dial, were founded in 2000 by Campbell as a writing and club-date project outside the Heartbreakers. The group finally got on record with 2020's Wreckless Abandon and 2022's External Combustion. Those LPs, Campbell says, were the Knobs “trying to find our way as a rock & roll band.”

“Now it’s down to great songs,” adds Campbell, “the depth in the lyrics and chords.” He recalls something Petty once told him: “Tom said, ‘I love the English language. There’s so much you can do with it.’ I'm discovering that, too. Looking for rhyme schemes, the right word. At first it was a struggle. Now that door has opened,” Campbell says. “I’ve turned a corner.” The Dirty Knobs are “still a rock band but growing into different feels.”

Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
Mission of Mercy

1. No Regrets
2. Let Me Back In My Dream
3. My Mama Told Me
4. I Remember
5. More Than Gold, feat. Morgane Stapleton
6. Mission of Mercy
7. Bongo Mania, feat. Kate Pierson
8. Wrecking Ball
9. Done To Me
10. Armageddon
11. Vicious Hangover
12. Vagrant

Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs Tour Dates

July 7 — Minneapolis, MN — Pantages Theatre
July 9 — Chicago, IL — The Vic Theatre
July 11 — Northfield, OH — MGM Northfield Park Center Stage
July 12 — Pontiac, MI — Flagstar Strand Theatre
July 15 — Nashville, IN — Brown County Music Center
July 17 — New Buffalo, MI — Four Winds
July 18 — Pittsburgh, PA — Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
July 21 — Glenside, PA — Keswick Theatre
July 23 — Waterville, ME — Waterville Opera House
July 24 — Portsmouth, NH — The Music Hall
September 12 — Atlanta, GA — Atlanta Symphony Hall*
September 15-19 — Nashville, TN — AmericanaFest
September 26 — Virginia Beach, VA — Farm Aid
October 2 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live†
October 10 — Memphis, TN — Mempho Music Festival

*Mike Campbell & The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
†with Chris Stapleton