Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs Debut “State of Mind,” ft. Margo Price (‘External Combustion’ LP Out 3/4)

Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs are gearing up to release External Combustion, a brand new studio album, this Friday, March 4.

On Tuesday, the Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist/songwriter and his band debuted a new song as a preview of the record — and the laid-back midtempo number “State of Mind” finds Margo Price along for the ride, trading vocals with Campbell.

Stream it below:

“I am thrilled and honored to have my friend Margo Price sing on our new track ‘State Of Mind,’ said Campbell. “She was gracious enough to sing the second verse and add some harmonies and she made the song better! I’m hoping she will join us somewhere along the road to do the song live. Margo is the real deal.”

And Price: “The first time I heard ‘State of Mind’ was in the studio when I was about to sing on it. The words were so perfect and I knew right away who the song was about. No one said a thing as we listened and I sat there with tears running down my face. I’ve been listening to the Heartbreakers my whole life and Mike is my hero. I’m honored to get to work with him and call him my friend.”

Click here to pre-order External Combustion on CD from our Rock Cellar Store
Click here to pre-order External Combustion on LP from our Rock Cellar Store

“Electric Gypsy” was also recently shared ahead of the album, and its video finds Campbell walking a lonely path in the desert before he’s joined by his band mates (guitarist Jason Sinay, bassist Lance Morrison and drummer Matt Laug):

“‘Electric Gypsy’ is one of my favorite songs on the new record,” said Campbell in a statement. “The song came to me in a moment of inspiration before a session with the band—and we recorded it that day in one take, guitar solo and all.”

From behind the scenes of the “Electric Gypsy” music video⚡️the shoot took place on a beautiful day in Yucca Valley, CA! ⚡️ have you had a chance to watch the video? Link in bio! pic.twitter.com/yMjDDrVgmu

— Mike Campbell // The Dirty Knobs (@MikeCampbellHQ) February 23, 2022

“Wicked Mind” was the first song/video shared from the record:

The song, and the album itself, find the Dirty Knobs heading in a new, more challenging direction:

“The band became this spontaneous type of combustion—to borrow a word,” Campbell said of the new record’s studio sessions. “The longer we played, the more intuitive it got.”

The track listing:

1. Wicked Mind
2. Brigitte Bardot
3. Cheap Talk
4. External Combustion
5. Dirty Job (featuring Ian Hunter)
6. State Of Mind (Featuring Margo Price)
7. Lightning Boogie
8. Rat City
9. In This Lifetime
10. It Is Written
11. Electric Gypsy

More on the album’s story:

Co-produced by Campbell and George Drakoulias (The Black Crowes, The Jayhawks), the 11-track album was recorded at Campbell’s home studio, Hocus Pocus Recorders in Los Angeles. External Combustion also features Margo Price and Ian Hunter as well as piano from fellow Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers founding member Benmont Tench on “Lightning Boogie.” Although Campbell wrote most of the songs on the new album within the past year, two of the tracks had been written in the 90’s, only to be rediscovered in Campbell’s extensive vault of unreleased compositions.

Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs will promote the record with their first headlining tour — which itself has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, affording the group a unique perspective as it pertains to coming up with a set list:

“The band’s too good,” says Campbell as he prepares for the upcoming tour. “And now we have two albums to draw from when writing setlists.”