U2 surprise release Easter Lily six-track EP

U2 mark Good Friday with the release of a new six-track companion EP to February’s Days Of Ash.

While its predecessor was the band’s response to the chaotic times we live in – Iran, Palestine and the Disunited States of America were all referenced – Easter Lily is described as “a reflective set of songs emerging from a more personal, private place that some may retreat to in such times – exploring themes of friendship, loss, hope, and ultimately, renewal.”

The band go on to describe the individual tracks:

‘Song for Hal’ is a COVID-19 lockdown lament, with The Edge on lead vocals, written for the band’s friend, the music-maker, Hal Willner, who would have turned 70 on Easter Monday and passed away almost six years ago to the day.
Sample lyric: "Dizzy as a musical/ Stupid songs you can’t forget/ Beyond pretty, beyond beautiful/ Wherever the strange is on parade/ Wherever the music is made."

‘In A Life’ is a song celebrating friendship.
Sample lyric: "And when we make our bed out of war/ Deafen our children with its roar/ Repeat rewind replay once more/ Never unsee the sights they saw."

‘Scars’ is a song of encouragement and acceptance; scars and all, with a twist.
Sample lyric: "You’re looking skyward/ Your blackest night is turning blue/ All the tyrants that you’ve defeated/ The only one that's left is you."

‘Resurrection Song’ is about pilgrimage, a road trip into the unknown with a lover or friend.
Sample lyric: "Love extravagantly/ And without regret/ If there's anything better/ I've not heard it yet."

‘Easter Parade’ is a devotional song, a celebration of new life, rebirth and resurrection.
Sample lyric: "If she needs a song defying gravity/ I have one more left in me/ A song of devotion/ As cold as the ocean."

'COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)’ is a lullaby for parents of children caught up in war, featuring a soundscape by Brian Eno.”
Sample lyric: "Am I the best or the worst or the worst of the best?" she sang/ Ice cream smile wide as a mile back then/ "Say a nice prayer, be a good girl, finger on my lips"/ When she returned her lipstick had learned how not to kiss."

In a note to fans, Bono says: "We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, 'unreasonably colourful’ album to play live, which is where U2 lives. We still look to vivid rock 'n' roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens. These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world.

"It’s a time that has our band digging deeper into our lives to find a wellspring of songs to try meet the moment. With Easter Lily we ended up asking very personal questions like: 'Are our own relationships up to these challenging times? How hard do you fight for friendship? Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward? Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…? Or are there answers to find in its crevices? Are there ceremonies, rituals, dances that we might be missing in our lives?'

"From the rite of Spring to Easter and its promise of rebirth and renewal. Patti Smith’s album Easter gave me so much hope when it was released in 1978. I wasn’t yet 18. The title is a nod to her. We will attempt hoopla and fanfare at a later date to remind the rest of the world we exist but in the meantime… this is between you and us."

Yep, Bono has confirmed that they're actively putting together a full standalone album and planning to return to live duty.

Today's release of Easter Lily is accompanied by another special edition of the band's long-running Propaganda fanzine, which is available digitally at https://easterlily.u2.com

There are also six lyrics videos to feast on at https://www.youtube.com/@U2official