Longtime Tom Petty right-hand man Mike Campbell’s new album, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, is a cinematic, guitar-heavy offering with irresistible hooks, gritty tales, and special guests. His third album as front man in Dirty Knobs, it recalls the hit-making craft of his past blended with the artistic resonance of superbly penned lyrics.

You’ve been peeling the onion with Dirty Knobs to reveal a unique sound.
I feel like I’ve turned a corner in terms of writing and my so-called singing, but I really enjoy it. I’m getting confidence and starting to feel it. Windows of songs are starting to open up for me, and it’s a joy.

Did you have a muse as Vagabonds came together?
Well, I certainly have a muse. I don’t know who she is, but I love her (laughs). When the light goes on and things drop in your lap, it’s pretty magical. I didn’t have any master plan; I took it song to song. If I get some inspiration, I chase it down and try to make a song out of it. I love writing lyrics now – I can explore characters and look at songs like little movies. I see what characters are doing and write it down. Most seem to be desperate misfits (laughs), but I like them, and the challenge is for them to find their way out of a bad situation. The Heartbreakers had a lot of songs like that too. It’s a good writing tool.

Graham Nash’s voice is one of those characters on “Dare To Dream.”
I’m a huge Hollies fan and having Graham sing on it… I mean, Graham is a real singer. I’m more of a stylist. I’m just so glad he did it. He brings something to the song; he came up with the “Dare to, dare to, dream” tag line. I’m so grateful to him.

On “Hell Or High Water,” Lucinda Williams enters with that fantastic voice.
I’m very proud of that song. It shows some growth in the lyric writing. I finished the song with me singing it, but I did an interview with Lucinda and asked her to do it. There’s a female character in the second verse, and it occurred to me that the right person could give it depth. She came in and put her soul into it. That voice of hers is undeniable – so full of soul and purity. That aching whine is so touching. I couldn’t be more grateful for having her on there.

How did you record guitars?
I have a home studio, and guitarist Chris Holt, who is permanently in the band now, is an amazing player, so we played live on the floor 90 percent of the time with the solos in the track as they went down. I asked Chris to play the Broadcaster I used on the first two (Heartbreakers) albums, so he played that on a lot of the record. It’s got a sound to it. He loved playing it, and it sounded great.

Which amps did you use?
I used an Ampeg Rocket on the whole record. It’s a very easy amp, with beautiful overtones. Chris played through a Princeton. I like small amps, and that’s the sound we got. You don’t need a big amp in the studio. You just need a good room, a good mic, and a good-sounding amp.

Are there any other guitars on the record?
I used a Rickenbacker 12-string, a ’59 Les Paul, and a Gretsch on one or two songs. I also used a ’56 Tele that I stuck a B-bender on. There wasn’t a whole lot of different guitars. Chris was thrilled to play my stuff because I have some nice guitars (laughs).

How about pedals?
I used a few boost pedals, but mostly we used just the sound of the amp. I have a Camel Toe by Way Huge Electronics, which is a semi-boost and loud boost. If the amp was a little too clean, we’d hit that. The guitars were pretty raw and basic. On my Rocket, I had a Sure 57 and an AKG 451 condenser mic in front of the speaker. My studio has a lot of wood, so when I use a Neuman U47 about 10 feet away, I get the sound of the room.

You and drummer Steve Ferrone were invited to play the national anthem for the Milwaukee Brewers back in June. What was that like?
The Brewers treated us like royalty. It was a little intimidating with just the two of us playing for 45,000 people in the afternoon, but it came off great. Everyone said it was well-done, and emotional.

This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.