Tom Waits returns with first new music in 15 years on Massive Attack track Boots on the Ground

Tom Waits has released his first new music in 15 years, teaming up with Massive Attack for the politically charged track Boots on the Ground.

Out now on streaming platforms, the song also marks Massive Attack’s first new material since 2020. The collaboration leans into the group’s signature brooding sound, with Waits’s unmistakable voice adding a raw, world-weary edge.

Lyrically, the track taps into themes of conflict and power, with Waits referencing what he calls the “madness” of humanity and its tendency to follow “the commands of ‘The Masters of War’”. It’s a tone that feels deliberately urgent, even if, as Waits himself suggests, the subject matter is nothing new.

Reflecting on the collaboration, he said: “Today, as in all of mankind’s yesterdays, [it] guarantees this type of song will never go out of style. Man’s folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies.”

The release will also get a physical outing, with a 12-inch vinyl edition featuring the track on one side and an exclusive Waits B-side, The Fly, on the other. The B-side is described as a spoken-word piece in his typically sardonic style.

In keeping with Massive Attack’s recent focus on sustainability, the vinyl will be produced using an eco-conscious process, with limited coloured pressings packaged at random.

For fans of both artists, Boots on the Ground marks a rare moment – not just a high-profile collaboration, but the return of one of music’s most distinctive voices after more than a decade away.

The editorial unit
Image: James Minchin III

For further information, visit Tom Waits’s website here.

Watch the video for Boots on the Ground here: