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Dorset-based originals rock band Mikey Ball & The Company return with their new single and video, No Time To Lose, out now and taken from their upcoming album Keep The Fire Burning, due Thursday 24th September. Rooted in heartland and classic rock, the track delivers strong hooks and heartfelt songwriting, offering a powerful taste of what’s to come. Connect with the guys, below:
(MB: Mikey Ball, GG: Gerard Guminski, DG: Dom Griffiths)
What are the origins of the band, and how long have you been playing together?
MB: The origins of this band go back quite a long way. All the way back to when I was just a solo singer-songwriter. Then over time I started to feel like the music I was writing leant itself to a fuller instrumentation, so from there a band was formed in 2014. Then over the past 12 years the line-up has evolved numerous times and the sounds developed along the way. But pertaining to this album, Sam joined shortly after the release of the last album, after a dep performance. Then in 2025 Gerard joined, as did Dom (again after a dep performance).
DG: I’ve known Mikey for going on 10 years now. We always crossed paths whilst I was in other bands and also helping out on producing one of his first albums. The first time I played for MBTC, they needed a bass dep, and I filled in. A few months later, Mikey needed another guitarist, and I’ve been here ever since!
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe yourself?
MB: If you’re coming to a show, I would love for you to come in expecting a band that’s going to bring an energy, an optimism, and a sense of interactive fun. We are up there to play our songs well, but to also entertain to the best of our abilities. If you’re checking us out on streaming, I’d urge you to check out the songs a couple of times; there’s a lot of detail that the guys bring. As such, I would describe us as a modernised classic rock band, we have an incredibly varied list of influences, and it’s genuinely a joy to see how that impacts the very basic songs that I present to the guys early in the writing process.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
MB: Due to the evolving nature of the history of this band, it’s hard to pinpoint a ‘first gig’ as that was technically a very long time ago. But for this line-up, there were two shows in quick succession last year – LoveRocks Festival and the Black Heart, Camden. These were the first two as this four-piece, and they just felt like putting your best foot forward. Very affirming, and incredibly fun shows to play. There were a few nerves and perhaps a little sense of the unknown on my part as Chris had just departed on guitar after 7 years of playing together, and my apprehension there was that I’d gotten so used to his presence, it would feel like a serious absence in the performance for me. But full credit to the guys, these shows felt like a continuation rather than a compromise, and that was very important to me.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
MB: Well, firstly our latest single ‘No Time To Lose’ is out now! And in the background we are preparing for the launch of the full album on 24th Sept with our launch party following on 26th Sept.
Regarding a similar audience, which band at the minute do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?
MB: Oh there’s so many, I’d love to open for Massive Wagons or New Roses but I think my absolute choice would be Kris Barras.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
MB: I’d hate to break the rules and make a list, but The Hot One Two are great lads and really deserve success, but also an honorary mention to Cassidy Paris.
DG: Not so new and definitely on the up and up, but I would love to see Black Water County make it all the way.
What frustrates you about the music business?
MB: This is a definite void that I think is risky to stare into. I have a belief that it was always rose-tinted; it was always ‘better way back when’ regardless. But my biggest frustration is the devaluing of music and, in particular, the rise of instant gratification, now more than ever, everything you do is an elevator pitch. You have such a short window to catch anyone’s attention. And this seemingly endless list of plates you need to have spinning that all seem to have more importance than songwriting. The constant need for social media posting and content creation can become draining and distracting. Of course, it is now a big part of how we operate. And sadly now there’s a lot less risks being taken, big artists under pressure to be consistent hitmakers from day 1, there’s no longer that development, so many great acts over the years had 3 or 4 albums under their belts before their ‘big break’. The chance of that risk being taken is gone now. And I think, unfortunately, that’s limiting in the end. But I think also when it is at its most frustrating, you have to have your own metrics and values to keep you engaging with it, to keep you moving forward. That seems to be the healthiest way I’ve found to deal with it.
GG: My biggest bugbear is that music promoters and labels currently don’t have faith in bands. How many can be found in the Top 40? Maybe two on a good week, and those are probably legacy acts. There will come a time where these older and well-established bands will eventually pack it up. In essence, this strategy is short-sighted and harms the music industry in the immediate term. Secondly, it is fantastic that music is a lot more accessible to both musicians & listeners alike. At the same time, I do shudder sometimes when I hear how Top 40 songs were written in the back of a bus within a few minutes, creating massive revenues for people who never learned how to sing or play an instrument. AI should not be used for creating music for commercial purposes.
DG: For me, it is how the industry has moved away from purely talented musicians to a social media competition. Nowadays, it feels that it does not matter on your musical ability, just the amount of followers / streams you have online, and with the way all media is going (shorts, TikTok, etc) it feels like the music industry has devolved back to when music had to be >3 mins to fit on the radio to align with people’s attention spans.
What are your first musical memories? And what lightbulb moment made you say “I want to do that”?
MB: As much as I sometimes can look younger than I am, my answer isn’t Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. However, I had a couple of moments. When I was 14, I got to sub in on guitar for a local band in a pub. I did 3 songs, stared at my trainers throughout, my poor little practice amp cranked completely up to compete, but that was the moment something changed. That was when it felt like I’d found something unique. To add on to that point, I remember sitting on the floor of our family home on a Sunday night in June… 2009, Glastonbury coverage was on the TV and on walks Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. That show, that energy and that connection with the audience stayed with me.
GG: My parents took me to a Percy Sledge concert when I was very young. I was sitting in the first row, and he spotted me and told me to come onto the stage. My English wasn’t very good at the time but he said “This next song is for you and all the other young people in the audience – you are the future”.
DG: I’d say for me it would be a toss up between buying my first two albums ( “A Present for Everyone” – Busted and “American Idiot” – Greenday as they have both shaped me a lot as a musician and pushed me down this path or the time my mum woke me up to watch Foo’s at reading festival on the TV when I was young and remember the feeling of thinking that it was something I definitely wanted to do!
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
MB: Our Florida friends SoulSwitch played Bournemouth a couple of weekends ago on their latest tour. We met when touring with them in 2023, so naturally I couldn’t wait to get down just to be a fan and watch. They were brilliant!
GG: I saw Rizen from Somerset at the Godney Gathering last weekend. We’ve played with them a couple of times. They’re great lads, and I love their energy on stage.
DG: Partially working as a guitar tech but Download Festival. Technically, the last act I saw was Limp Bizkit (on my birthday of all days). It was just incredible!
What current social issues are you particularly passionate about?
MB: Apathy, indifference, the seemingly endless rise of manufactured outrage and a very shameful lack of dignity from the people paid and chosen to represent us. We simply deserve better, we have to be thinking critically at all times and holding everyone to account, not in an excusing comparative way, but each held to a higher standard.
GG: Ignorance & racism. People claiming to protect women & children but standing outside of hotels threatening & scaring the women & children inside. We don’t know what refugees had to go through to get here, we don’t know anything about the traumas that might haunt them for the rest of their lives.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
MB: In my Vinyl collection – Tea for the Tillerman, Cat Stevens, on my Spotify…. I’d say ‘When The Dark Dresses Lightly’ – Aurora.
GG: The Sounds of Cosmos by Tom Middleton.
DG: For those that know me, they know not to be surprised by my musical habits. But looking in from the outside, as I’m pretty pop punk, I’d say Vol.1 – Angine de Poitrine
Everybody is a fan of something. Who or what are you a fan of?
MB: Outside of music? I love films, and by association film music. There’s something about a well written and delivered story that can be so moving, relatable or sometimes just completely entertaining. Similar to Dom too, big rugby fan although we’ve shared many a consoling chat after a shattering defeat in recent years… maybe our fortunes will improve, there’s always hope!
GG: South Park. I stopped counting how many times I have watched every episode, and I still laugh about every single one of them.
DG: If we are talking outside of music, I would have to say that I am a die-hard Welsh rugby fan. Although I have to admit it has not been easy over the past few years… but I have grown up playing and supporting! Inside the music sphere, I build guitars, pedals, and pickups and have to say that I’m a fan of this side of music!
What new music have you enjoyed so far this year?
MB: A couple albums I’ve enjoyed that are both a little different to each other – Jack Savoretti’s ‘We Will Always Be The Way We Were’ & Kip Moore’s ‘Reason To Believe’, then I’ve loved everything I’ve heard so far from the new Brian Fallon album, can’t wait for that to come out! Perhaps surprisingly, ‘Prizefighter’ by Mumford & Sons was another enjoyable listen. Then I’ve also heard a few new tracks from Scarlet Rebels and The Strike that have been quite exciting. And then new to me (not necessarily releases from 2026): Salem, Tophouse, Marc Scibilia, Zander Hawley, Mercy Union and I could go on and on there! Actually, the new Fury album needs a mention; love that too!
GG: Rob Zombie’s new album “The Great Satan” takes us back to blunt metal from his earlier days. Very unapologetic stuff, love it. Then Evanescence’s “Sanctuary” – Amy Lee seems to be able to top every album with even more passion. And Saxon surprised me with “Gods Of Thunder” – they still got what it takes to make me bounce!
DG: This alludes to a previous answer of mine. I started listening to Angie de Poitrine at the start of the year. The first time I heard them, I had no idea what it was all about! However, after a few songs, I started to get it, and they are now in my daily rotation.
What does the rest of 2026 hold for you?
MB: I’m very much focused on and driven by the excitement of getting this new album out in September. There’s still plenty to be done, but I’m very excited to get to share these songs with people. But beyond that, we have a few more shows lined up where we will be promoting the new material. And not to mention the launch party on 26th September in Bournemouth, I intend to celebrate all of the work that has gone into this!
GG: The album launch is the big event of the year; it’s like birthdays & Xmasses coming together on the same night. Apart from that, the gigs we have planned, I just love being on stage with the lads.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
MB: I try to post daily when there’s a lot going on, and then in the quieter times a few times a week to keep in touch with those who support us. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and all streaming services by searching ‘Mikey Ball & The Company’. We also have our Merch store available via Big Cartel.
DG: We’re very active on socials but recently started looking more into ways to improve on our activity for the fans so expect some more BTS and reels from the guys!
Photo credit: Clash Creates
