AceShowbiz - Bono has shared insights into U2’s latest release, the politically charged Days Of Ash EP, describing the collection as a direct reaction to current global concerns and anxieties.

The EP was released on February 18, coinciding with Ash Wednesday, and features five tracks along with a poem, all accompanied by lyric videos available for fans to explore. Alongside the music, the band issued a special edition of their magazine Propaganda, which includes interviews with the band members and the lyrics from the new songs.

This new project serves as a precursor to a full-length album expected later in 2026. The five songs on Days Of Ash are titled “American Obituary,” “The Tears Of Things,” “Song Of The Future,” “Wildpeace,” and “One Life At A Time,” with a sixth track, “Yours Eternally,” featuring collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Taras Topolia. The EP is described as an immediate artistic response to contemporary events, inspired by the bravery of those standing on the frontlines of freedom.

A press release highlights that four of the tracks focus on the stories of individuals—a mother, a father, a teenage girl—whose lives were tragically cut short, as well as a soldier torn between his love for music and his duty to defend his country. These narratives underscore the raw, emotional core of the EP.

Bono spoke about the project, saying, “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.”

He continued, “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 normalised 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.”

U2’s magazine Propaganda accompanies the EP release with a new special issue that echoes the band’s long-running commitment to D.I.Y. culture and punk-era attitudes. The first issue of Propaganda debuted in February 1986, and this new edition is available in both print and digital formats, featuring exclusive content related to the Days Of Ash EP.

This release marks a distinctive chapter for U2, with Days Of Ash offering a raw, urgent soundtrack to the turbulent times, setting the stage for their upcoming album later this year. Fans and new listeners alike are invited to experience this powerful artistic statement that confronts the challenges of the present while holding onto hope for the future.