Massive Attack team up with Tom Waits: watch the video for “Boots On The Ground”

The return of Massive Attack comes via an unexpected and, in many ways, symbolic alliance: “Boots On The Ground”, the new single made together with Tom Waits, marks the end of a decade-long recording silence for the Bristol band, and an even longer one for the American songwriter, who hasn't released anything since 2011's “Bad As Me”.

The track, which also features vocal contributions from Waits' son Casey, grew out of a collaboration begun years ago and left on hold until now. Time, it seems, has done nothing to blunt its impact: in Waits' own words, the long gestation has only confirmed the relevance of a song conceived as a bitter, persistent reflection on the derailments of history and of humanity.

Watch the video for “Boots On The Ground” below.

Alongside the single, released in a limited-edition “EcoSonic” vinyl pressing, the B-side features “The Fly”, a spoken word track by Waits himself. Proceeds from the release will go to organizations working to defend civil rights in the United States, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the US Immigrant Defense Project.

On both an aesthetic and political level, “Boots On The Ground” sits comfortably within Massive Attack's usual poetics: a tense, layered sound shot through with an explicitly critical reading of the present. The band has pointed out that the track arrives amid a climate marked by new forms of authoritarianism and the growing militarization of police forces, factors that shape both its tone and its expressive urgency.

The release is accompanied by a video made by the band together with American visual artist thefinaleye, a further extension of a project that weaves together music and imagery with a political edge.

“It's an honor for our career to collaborate with an artist of Tom's greatness, originality and integrity – write Massive Attack – but this track arrives in a climate of chaos. Across the entire Western hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarization of police forces are once again merging with neo-fascist politics. In the context of the American emergency, both at home and abroad, this track conveys impulses of ruthless numbness and deep apathy.”

And Waits writes: “Many years ago I accepted an invitation from Massive Attack to collaborate. At the time we sent them 'Boots on the Ground'. The long delay before its release never worried me. It's clear that, now as then, this song is still as relevant as ever: man's disastrous folly is a 'banquet for flies'. That's why the B-side of Massive Attack's 12", 'The Fly', contains my tribute to that pesky winged insect.”

The collaboration between Massive Attack and Waits had already begun to take shape yesterday, with clues dropped by both parties on social media. The main one appeared on the English band's channels: the words “Boots On The Ground” accompanied by a countdown and a link for the pre-save, with sounds that seem to combine the grooves of the Bristol scene with Waits's atmospheres (and perhaps a sample of his track “The Earth Died Screaming”).

An announcement that hinted at the imminent release of a single and fell in line with what had already been suggested in past months, when Robert Del Naja and co. had spoken of new music planned for 2026, distributed through alternative means rather than traditional streaming platforms.

Making the picture even more intriguing was Tom Waits himself. For a few minutes, his own profile also shared content tied to “Boots On The Ground”: a black screen, an audio track made of labored breathing, then quickly deleted.

The union of these two far-flung worlds isn't as odd as it might seem. Ever since the Nineties, in fact, the sonic universe of Massive Attack has often sought out encounters with different voices, capable of shifting its axis away from the classic orbit of trip-hop. The lesson is already evident in their early work, where the presence of Tricky – with his rough, almost abrasive register – helped redefine the boundaries of the genre. It's no coincidence that, back in the days of “Maxinquaye“, some described him as an ideal Bristol equivalent of Waits. Over the years, the band has built up a veritable gallery of voices, enlisting figures such as Horace Andy, Shara Nelson, Tracey Thorn, Elizabeth Fraser and Sinéad O’Connor. A path oriented toward distinctive, unconventional vocal personalities.

For the American singer-songwriter, this marks his first record release since “Bad As Me” (2011), aside from sporadic appearances and the odd one-off contribution, such as his recent participation in a tribute project dedicated to Shane MacGowan. In recent years Waits has focused on other outlets, including poetry, film and select artistic collaborations.

Meanwhile, Massive Attack have announced new releases and a series of live dates across Europe and international festivals in the coming months.

• 27.05.2026 — Helsinki, FI — Veikkaus Arena
• 30.05.2026 — Rättvik, SE — Dalhalla
• 01.06.2026 — Copenhagen, DK — Royal Arena
• 04.06.2026 — Barcelona, ES — Primavera Sound
• 07.06.2026 — Berlin, DE — Zitadelle
• 08.06.2026 — Brussels, BE — Forest National
• 26.07.2026 — Niigata, JP — Fuji Rock Festival

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