Photo: Anton Corbijn
U2 have surprise released a new six-track, politically-charged EP.
Arriving ahead of a new album in late 2026, 'Days Of Ash' dropped on Ash Wednesday (February 18) via Island Records and reflects on recent events in Minneapolis, Iran, Palestine and Ukraine. A press release describes it as, "an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom."
It comprises five songs; American Obituary, The Tears Of Things, Song Of The Future, One Life At A Time, Yours Eternally featuring Ed Sheeran and Taras Topolia, the latter of which will be accompanied by a short documentary film released on February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The tracks tell tales of a mother, father and a teenage girl who were killed, and a soldier who'd rather be singing but is instead preparing to die for his country's freedom. It also includes Wildpeace, a poem by Israeli Yehuda Amichai read by Nigerian artist Adeola Fayehun with music written by U2 and Jacknife Lee. Bono said:
"It's been a thrill having the four of us back together in the studio over the last year … the songs on Days of Ash are very different in mood and theme to the ones we're going to put on our album later in the year.
"These EP tracks couldn't wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world. They are songs of defiance and dismay, of lamentation. Songs of celebration will follow, we’re working on those now… because for all the awfulness we see normalized daily on our small screens, there’s nothing normal about these mad and maddening times and we need to stand up to them before we can go back to having faith in the future. And each other. “If you have a chance to hope it’s a duty…” is a line we borrowed from Lea Ypi. A laugh would be nice too. Thank you."
Alongside the EP, the band have released a special edition of their magazine Propaganda as a digital download, with a limited number of physical copies available at select independent record stores in Europe and North America, featuring new interviews and the EP's lyrics.
Back in 2023 U2 released the album 'Songs Of Surrender', featuring reworkings of earlier songs, followed in 2024 by previously unheard material from the sessions for 2004's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb' LP. Their most recent album of new original material is 2017's 'Songs Of Experience'.
'Days Of Ash' tracklist:
1. American Obituary
2. The Tears of Things
3. Song of the Future
4. Wildpeace (U2, Adeola, Jacknife Lee)
5. One Life at a Time
6. Yours Eternally (feat. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)
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