For the last several years, founding Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell’s main musical outlet has been as the frontman of his band The Dirty Knobs. In June 2024, Campbell and the group released their third studio album, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits.
Videos by American Songwriter
Now Mike and The Dirty Knobs are back with a brand-new single, titled “Heart of the Heartland.” The track is available now via streaming services, while a “visualizer” video has premiered on Campbell’s official YouTube channel.
The melodic acoustic guitar-driven song has a country-rock feel, and is enhanced by melancholy baroque-pop strings. The video features archival footage of various rural locations and scenes around the U.S.
“‘Heart of the Heartland’ is a song I’m very proud of,” Campbell said in a social media post. “It’s kind of like a travelogue through the middle of America. The music is very simple, but the lyrics refer to a lot of American landscapes and sentiments. Many of the images are drawn from things I’ve seen in my travels through the heartland over the years.
He added, “It was also really fun to have strings on the song, thanks to Patrick Warren’s arrangement.” Warren is a veteran keyboardist, composer, and producer who previously has worked with such famous artists as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Rosanne Cash, Bonnie Raitt, LeAnn Rimes, Neil Diamond, Melissa Etheridge, Sara Bareilles, Tom Waits, Joan Baez, and Graham Nash.
Fans React to Campbell’s New Song
Plenty of fans took to the comments section of Campbell’s YouTube channel to share their feelings about Mike latest song with The Dirty Knobs.
One fan wrote, “Got me singing along on the first listen!”
A second commented, “Love the lyrics. Being from Ohio originally i can definitely relate to all of it! Love it. Keep on Keepin ON & Rockin IN The Heartland.”
A third fan enthused, “Americana at it’s best! Great Job Knobs … and Mike. This really is a good song. You can definitely see Tom [Petty’s] influence on Mike, but [Mike’s] influence for 40 plus years on Tom as well.”
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs’ 2025 Tour Plans
The Dirty Knobs’ current touring lineup includes bassist Lance Morrison, guitarist Chris Holt, and longtime Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone. Campbell and the current band recently launched a new North American tour leg that features shows in the U.S. and Canada.
The trek kicked off June 4 in Montreal and is plotted out through an August 14 concert in Jacksonville, Florida.
The outing includes a June 12-13 engagement opening for Chris Stapleton in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs also will support Southern rock act Blackberry Smoke at a series of 12 concerts running from a July 25 performance in Nashville thorough an August 10 gig in Asheville, North Carolina.
Check out Campbell’s full tour schedule at TheDirtyKnobs.com.
(Photo by Chris Phelps)
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