Mike Campbell has been turning a corner, and ‘Mission of Mercy’ is proof. The celebrated guitarist and songwriter behind some of the most enduring rock records ever made has announced the fourth Dirty Knobs album, due June 12 via Soundly Music/Thirty Tigers. First single “I Remember” is out now, a piano-born rocker that the band stretched into something with, as Campbell puts it, “an ethereal, jam-like quality.” It’s a strong opening statement from a record that covers serious ground.
‘Mission of Mercy’ moves across styles with confidence. There’s the full-throttle rock of “I Remember,” the Americana ballad “More Than Gold” featuring Morgane Stapleton, and the Brian Wilson-inspired psychedelia of the title track. Kate Pierson of the B-52s appears on “Bongo Mania.” The album is co-produced again by George Drakoulias and Martin Pradler, with the Dirty Knobs lineup of Chris Holt on guitars and keys, Lance Morrison on bass, and fellow Heartbreaker Steve Ferrone on drums and percussion. Campbell describes it as “full-throttle Knobs from start to finish.”
The record follows 2024’s critically acclaimed ‘Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits,’ which drew praise from NPR’s Fresh Air, Rolling Stone, and the Los Angeles Times. It also arrives on the heels of Campbell’s New York Times bestselling memoir ‘Heartbreaker,’ which Rolling Stone called “essential.” Campbell’s voice as a songwriter has clearly deepened. He recalls advice from Tom Petty about the English language: “There’s so much you can do with it. I’m discovering that, too.” That discovery is all over this record.
A full summer tour runs through July, with dates in Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and more, plus a special orchestral performance of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hits with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on September 12, and a date with Chris Stapleton at Jiffy Lube Live on October 2. Tickets are on sale now.
‘Mission of Mercy’ Track Listing:
- No Regrets
- Let Me Back In My Dream
- My Mama Told Me
- I Remember
- More Than Gold (feat. Morgane Stapleton)
- Mission of Mercy
- Bongo Mania (feat. Kate Pierson)
- Wrecking Ball
- Done To Me
- Armageddon
- Vicious Hangover
- Vagrant
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 (Mike Campbell & The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)
October 2, Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live (with Chris Stapleton)