The Maccabees have collaborated with rapper Roots Manuva on a heady re-working of Wall of Arms album track and live favourite No Kind Words. The track, newly titled Empty Vessels, features brilliant new lyrics and vocals from fellow south Londoner Roots.

Maccabees’ guitarist Felix White had Roots in mind for No Kind Words during the Wall of Arms recording sessions and mentioned his desire for a collaboration in a couple of interviews earlier this year. On the eve of their Glastonbury appearance White received a call from Roots,

Empty Vessels is available on iTunes now and will be released on 12′ vinyl on 1st February on Fiction Records.

The Maccabees headline the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2010 with Bombay Bicycle Club, The Big Pink and The Drums in February. Dates overleaf.

It’s been a great year for The Maccabees with career-defining sets at Leeds and Reading Festival this summer which had The Observer dubbing them ‘festival heroes’ and NME reminding us ‘they’re probably the best home-grown indie rock band the UK has to offer right now‘. In Wall of Arms they have released one of the best-received albums of the year. The record entered the UK album charts at number 13 in May, winning praise across the board from fans and critics alike.

The Maccabees have won over a whole new legion of fans, building upon the success of their debut album Colour It In with three sold-out headline tours already this year, including a spectacular homecoming headline show at Brixton Academy, and key festival appearances at Isle of Wight, Glastonbury and T in The Park and Reading and Leeds.

‘The Maccabees’ star has risen spectacularly in 2009′ ***** The Guardian live review
‘Perfect, passionate and sophisticated pop, a fine album’ The Sunday Times
‘the meticulously evolved sound of a band aiming to bid to breathe life into British indie’ **** Observer Music Monthly

music-news.com 14/12/09