U2 Unveils Politically-Charged ‘Days Of Ash’ EP

U2 released a new EP, Days Of Ash, which was inspired by recent global events. The record presents five new original songs, as well as a reading of the poem “Wildpeace” by Israeli author and poet Yehuda Amichai.

“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,” said U2 frontman Bono. “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.”

Four of the five songs on Days Of Ash, which was released on the same day as the religious Ash Wednesday observance, address individuals.

“American Obituary” was written after Renée Nicole Macklin Good was killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis. “Song of the Future” was written to honor the life of 16-year-old Iranian protestor Sarina Esmailzadeh. “One Life At A Time” was written for Palestinian nonviolent activist Awdah Hathaleen, who was killed in the West Bank last year.

“Yours Eternally” features the inspiration behind the song, Ukrainian musician/soldier Taras Topolia, who has actively fought against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Along with Topolia, “Yours Eternally” includes a guest appearance by Ed Sheeran.

“The Tears Of Things” shares its title with the book by Franciscan friar Richard Rohr. The track “Wildpeace” is Yehuda Amichai’s poem read by Nigerian artist Adeola of Les Amazones d'Afrique, paired with music performed by U2 and Jacknife Lee.

A companion mini-documentary to “Yours Eternally,” directed by Ukrainian Ilya Mikhaylus, will be released on Tuesday, February 24, to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We believe in a world where borders are not erased by force,” said U2 guitarist The Edge. “Where culture, language, and memory are not silenced by fear. Where the dignity of a people is not negotiable. This belief isn’t temporary. It isn’t political fashion. It’s the ground we stand on. And we stand there together.”

The EP was released with an accompanying new edition of Propaganda. The one-off digital zine, with a limited-edition print run, “U2 – Days Of Ash: Six Postcards From The Present… Wish We Weren’t Here” is a 52-page publication made up of interviews, lyrics, liner notes and more. U2 also revealed a new album is set to arrive in late 2026.