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After the release of their politically-charged ‘Days Of Ash’ on Ash Wednesday, rockers U2 have unveiled a new EP titled ‘Easter Lily’.
Released today, on Good Friday, the “separate, self-contained collection” offers six new songs, including a soundscape from Brian Eno.
Frontman Bono said in a statement: “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?”
Indeed, whereas ‘Days Of Ash’ had “songs of defiance” dedicated to activists who died, including Renée Good and Palestinian No Other Land documentary consultant Awdah Hathaleen, ‘Easter Lily’ tackles more “personal, private and reflective” material.
It is described as a “much more reflective set of songs” compared to its predecessor, “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 EP’s opener, ‘Song for Hal’, is dedicated to U2’s late friend and producer Hal Willner, who died in 2020 from complications brought on by COVID-19.
Not that the new songs aren’t engaged… Brian Eno produced the album’s closing track, ‘COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)’, which the band wrote for the parents of children growing up in war zones.
Like ‘Days Of Ash’, ‘Easter Lily’ arrives alongside another digital edition of the band’s Propaganda zine, which they’ve been publishing since 1986. It features lyrics, articles, photos and contributions from the four band members and collaborators.
Check out the new issue here.
Here is the tracklist for ‘Easter Lily’:
- ‘Song For Hal’
- ‘In A Life’
- ‘Scars’
- ‘Resurrection Song’
- ‘Easter Parade’
- ‘COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)’ – ft. a new soundscape by Brian Eno
Both of the band’s 2026 EPs precede a still-untitled new album from U2, who released their most recent full-length LP, ‘Songs of Surrender’, in 2023.
The new record is set to come out in late 2026.