Tom Petty on New Mudcrutch LP and Why He’s Done With Solo Albums

Earlier this week, we chatted with Tom Petty about the Confederate Flag and his regret over using it as a stage prop back in 1985. But politics weren’t all we discussed. He gave us an update on the upcoming Mudcrutch album and the band’s likely tour, future plans for the Heartbreakers, a forthcoming LP of songs cut from Wildflowers and why he’s unlikely to ever play one of his classic albums in concert or make another solo record.

I spoke to Mike Campbell recently and he said the plan was for Mudcrutch to convene in August to begin work on a new album. Is that still the plan?
Yeah, yeah. It’s coming up.

Are the songs all written?
I wish they were. I’m kind of frantically working on material for that right now, really over the past month. The good thing is that everybody brings in a song so I don’t have to write 12 or something. But I’m working on it. Some of the most fun I have is those Mudcrutch sessions. It was just so much fun and I think that’s one of the better albums I was ever involved in. I’m hoping it’s something like that again. It’d kind of intimidating to have to follow it up.

Where are you going to record it?
We’re gonna use the Heartbreakers studio. We have a big Heartbreakers club house out in the valley, which is where we made the last one. I imagine most of it will be done there. The wild thing about the last album is that the vocals and even the harmony vocals were done live on the floor of the studio at the same time we played it, so there weren’t many overdubs. I’m hoping we can do that again. They play their solos on the fly, so every take is a little different, but in the end you just go for the best one. We made that record in ten days.

Do you think this one will also be that fast?
I don’t know. I’m gonna see.

It’s great to watch you playing with Tom Leadon and Randall Marsh again. It’s clear how much everyone is enjoying themselves.
I know. Playing the bass is so much fun for me because I started out as a bassist. I did that until the Heartbreakers formed, so being back in that position and playing with Randall is just so much fun. I love playing with him. He’s such a good drummer, and he’s a drummer that plays to the vocal rather than being hung up on the bass and stuff. And Tommy’s just out of sight on the guitar. We spent our teenager years singing together, so we have a good blend.