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Massive Attack and Tom Waits Release Anti‑War Single ‘Boots on the Ground’ With Film

The project turns activism into concrete choices on platforms, with vinyl profits pledged to civil-rights groups.

Overview

  • The duo released the track Thursday, April 16 via Play It Again Sam alongside a research-cited film using thefinaleye’s protest photography from ICE crackdowns, Black Lives Matter marches, and militarized policing.
  • The single marks Tom Waits’ first new original recording since 2011 and Massive Attack’s first new music in six years.
  • The song skips Spotify under Massive Attack’s stated exemption policy that protests the platform’s ties to military and AI investment, though it streams on other services.
  • A 12-inch EcoSonic vinyl made from 100% recycled PET through Good Neighbor is up for preorder, adds Waits’ spoken-word B-side ‘The Fly,’ and sends profits to the ACLU and the Immigrant Defense Project.
  • More is queued up next, including a Friday reflection by novelist Omar El Akkad and a European tour that begins May 27 in Helsinki with further releases expected around the live run.