Mikey Ball & The Company
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Feature Image Photo Credit: Clash Creates
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 2026.
Who is in Mikey Ball and The Company, how did you meet and what do you play?
MB: Well The Company are; Sam Hurst on Drums & Backing Vocals, Dom Griffiths on Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vocals & Gerard Guminski on the Bass. With myself just sitting on top of the hard work they put in! This latest incarnation is an evolution from previous lineups over time, with Sam joining four years ago after a cameo on drums. Dom and I go back a very long way, he even engineered some early EPs of mine. Again he’d jumped in on dep for us to get us out of trouble and then joined fully last year at the same time as Gerard came on board, who himself had almost auditioned after a previous opening.
What is your earliest musical memory?
MB: I grew up with what I would say is some pretty cool music in the house. But it was very varied. Anything from classic British blues – Free, Paul Rogers, Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac etc mixed with the classic 60s sounds of The Byrds, Dylan etc. Plus loads of Motown and Soul. It makes for quite a soundtrack. But one of my strong ‘early’ memories – as I wasn’t that young, but sitting down on a Sunday night to watch the Glastonbury coverage, and out walks the headliner, one short bloke from New Jersey and his enormous band, the flags out in force, the energy from the first note to the last and the moment that’s stayed with me forever – Bruce Springsteen’s performance of The River during that set, where I saw a man literally steam on stage. That was the moment I knew I wanted to do that! I wanted to write songs that meant something like those. And perform with that level of intensity.
SH: For me it’s hard to really pin one in particular down. My dad’s been taking me to gigs since I was 7 or 8 years old, and I’ve been exposed to music for longer than I can remember just by nature of the amount that he was listening to. I think one of my earliest memories, not just musical memories but memories in general, is watching the music video for Linkin Park’s In The End. Arguments can be made around how well the CGI has aged, but at the time, and especially to a kid as young as I was at the time, it was completely jawdropping.
When did you begin songwriting?
MB: As soon as I was in a band in school we were making our own music, but I didn’t know a single thing about songwriting, figuring out as I went, it wasn’t until myself and the now Daytura drummer Lloyd formed an acoustic duo together, that we actually delved into songwriting in any real sense. Just a pair of teenagers trying to understand the world. Ever since then it’s been with me, it’s been a great form of expression and a great mystery.
You have your new album ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ being released on Thursday 24th September 2026. How did you want to approach the making of the album?
MB: Truthfully? A lot sooner, those fewer of you who may have known us for a while will know that this has taken four years to get from the release of Through The Night to the release of Keep The Fire Burning. But as with anything life gets in the way, lineups evolve, jobs change and all the while time ticks on. However, we prepared for this album really well. We spent some time demo’ing some early versions, that’s always great for creative experiments. Then once we knew which songs would be on the finished album we prepared and prepared ready to go in and play to our best.
Where did you record the album and who produced it?
MB: The album was recorded with the same team we used on the previous album, at Axe & Trap Studios in Wells, Somerset. Engineered and Produced by Ben Turner, with the Mastering then done remotely by Peter Fletcher at Black Bay Studios.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
SH: Not exactly from the sessions, but while we were out there recording we were staying in a B&B that was a converted barn, and because of that the top floor room that Dom and I were staying in had some pretty low hanging beams, about my chin height, and I smacked my head on that thing enough on the first day that it’s a small miracle I stayed concussion free. Luckily hanging a bright orange sleeping bag over it for the rest of the weekend made that a lot easier.
MB: To follow a similar theme as Sam, on the first morning I woke up on the sofa nice and early. When I figured I’d sneak out, head into the town and come back with everything for breakfast. Unfortunately in the act of being quiet I did fall down the last three steps into the kitchen – to which I didn’t wake anyone up and I still completed my goal of everyone waking up to breakfast being cooked!
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
SH: I used the exact same drumkit I use at any live show where I’m supplying the full kit, and even if we’re not using my shells, the snare and cymbals will still be exactly the same as the ones you hear on the record. I wanted to make sure that tonally, you could go to a live show and hear the sound that you (hopefully) enjoyed on the album. Well, there’s that and the fact it’s the only drumkit I own but that’s neither here nor there…
MB: Well for me I have to talk about cranking the Marshall Sv20s. The absolute secret to the guitar sound on this album is those amps cranked as loud as we could get them. But I also have to mention the Fender Strat that features heavily, as it was a gift from the incredible Matt Birley of Poole Vigilantes.
Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
Happiest – Patron Saint of the Broken Hearted, as ironic as that may sound.
Angriest – Pressure
Most Reflective – Queen of Hearts.
Was it a difficult album to write?
MB: At times yes, a lot of life happened between the last album and this one. Not only that the bands lineup evolved and as much as that is a part of life, it can be difficult to regenerate momentum when you have change the plan, adapt etc. But also I pushed myself further with the writing, I had some persona questions to answer, especially when it took a lot of fortitude to get us here.
Who designed the album artwork?
MB: I did, but in all honesty I was capturing the moment the name came to me.
One of the tracks is the single ‘No Time To Lose’ out now. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
MB: This track is about defying expectations, breaking away from the choices people would prefer us to make and choose what or who makes us happy!
The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind it and who directed it?
MB: It was directed by Rachel Di Biaso (of the Dvrk Romantics). We wanted to capture how it feels to be at one of our shows. But special mention to Thea Kimber for working the lights!
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
MB: We are from Bournemouth and the immediately surrounding areas. In five words?
Beach, Stag Do’s, Litter, Contention, History.
How do you look after your voices?
MB: Nowhere near as well as I should, but I’ve been pretty fortunate to get hold of a care package or two from Vocalzone. Who’s Teas, Pastels and Sprays really help to get the best out of it. Other than that I try to stay hydrated and local honey is great to keep the hayfever at bay!
Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026?
MB: Sadly not Europe, but we would LOVE to come out and see you if you’ll have us! But yes we have a few to go in the UK, our launch show at The Anvil, Bournemouth of 26th September, then we will be featuring at Cornwall Rocks on 2nd October, then we have a few to be announced before the year is out!
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
GG: Not have made too many mistakes and to have been able to connect with the audience
MB: Leave everything I can on that stage. I love being up there, and I love that moment of connection, I would feel guilty if I didn’t give 100%. And in the process not falling over!
SH: The two things that matter to me more than anything else at a show is that we have a good time and the audience have a good time, because at the end of the day that’s what we’re all there for and the meeting of those two elements is where the magic happens.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
GG: I only recently changed from a regular 4-string to a 5-string multi-scale bass, an Ibanez SRMS725BCM. Best guitar ever. For stage, I run that through an MXR Sub-Octaver & Fuzz, a Zoom B6 with a Wah-pedal, into a Darkglass Harmonic Booster to a Darkglass B7k Ultra V2 Kraken, and from there into front-of-house. It took me 30 years and lots of £££ to finally have my perfect live sound.
SH: 10” and 12” rack toms, 14” snare, 16” floor tom, 22” kick drum, all Pearl Export. Then for cymbals, a 14” hi-hat, 16” and 18” crashes, 20” ride and 15” china, all of which are Zildjian A Custom. Then I have a cymbal stack made up of the crash and one of the hi hats from my dad’s old drumkit, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you what make they are, those two are old enough that any branding has long since rubbed off or was just never there to begin with.
MB: My aforementioned Fender Strat. It was love at first strum between that guitar and me. And my amp cranked as loud as I can get away with!
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
GG: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. It was written in the 1950s and focuses on institutional racism & Black identity in the 1930s. I would have a lot to say in words & music about the inability of some people not only in the United States but everywhere to fully accept other races & cultures into their societies. Being a German with a strong Jewish background compels me even more so to work on such a project.
SH: Okay so there’s this series of books I read as a kid called the Origami Yoda series. The general premise is that one of the kids at this school brings a homemade origami finger puppet of Yoda into school and gets the other kids to start asking it for life advice, but the finger puppet ends up being weirdly prophetic and gives the other kids way better advice than the kid behind the puppet seems capable of giving, or even listening to himself. So the book is from the point of view of the other kids at the school writing individual chapters, collectively trying to figure out if this origami finger puppet actually has a separate consciousness. I feel like a score for an adaptation of that series could have a lot of fun blending that pop punky, emo influenced sound you get with a coming-of-age movie with motifs from the various groundbreaking soundtracks from the Star Wars movies.
MB: Hemmingways Old Man & The Sea, but I tell you now it would be quite dark. Everything else I could think of already has the most perfectly composed scores.. Looking at you Howard Shore.
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
GG: I’m a massive metalhead, and I love almost all forms of the genre. But when I want to go into myself, I love listening to older Queensrÿche & Dream Theater – so more on the prog metal side.
SH: Most of my regular listening falls under the Rock & Metal umbrella. Bands that spring to mind in my current rotation are Breaking Benjamin, Coheed and Cambria, Thrice, Caligula’s Horse and Bilmuri.
MB: Thin Lizzy, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, The Gaslight Anthem, Fleetwood Mac. I love classic rock, but then I like its modern interpretations and it’s growth. My recommendation – Kris Barras – he’s just phenomenal, and then Gary Clark Jnr for some great blues.
What makes Mikey Ball and The Company happy and what makes you unhappy?
MB: Jaffa Cakes, we love Jaffa Cakes! But truly what’s made me happy is the fact that thanks to such wonderful support from the guys but also from all the excellent people we’ve encountered, that I get to keep doing this! I am very grateful. And not wanting to end on an unhappy note, but I would say poor attitudes, disrespectful behaviour at shows by bands and attendees. But thankfully those encounters are so few and far between.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Clash Creates
Mikey Ball & The Company’s latest single ‘No Time To Lose’ is out now.
Listen Here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/mikeyballandthecompany/no-time-to-lose
The new album ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ is released on Thursday 24th September 2026.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/535ECYGwdTDflsLYtJbjqW
Saturday 26th September 2026 – Album Launch Show, The Anvil, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
