In this personal interview, Tom Petty reflects about getting back together with The Heartbreakers after spending four years working solo, and what that reunion meant to him. He looks back on touring with Bob Dylan and how that experience led to the unexpected formation of the Traveling Wilburys with Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison, and how those collaborations continue to influence his music.

He shares stories from the making of Into the Great Wide Open, breaking down songs like “Learning to Fly,” “Two Gunslingers,” “Built to Last,” and “You and I Will Meet Again,” while reflecting on the creative roles of bandmates like Mike Campbell and the importance of acoustic sounds in rock music. Petty also opens up about life on the road, creative freedom, environmental awareness, his Gone Gator Records label, and how he stays inspired after decades in rock ’n’ roll.