The Edge revealed to Rolling Stone that U2 has begun the long process of creating new music. The guitarist explained, “We are firmly locked in the tower of song and working away on a bunch of new things. I'm just having so much fun writing and not necessarily having to think about where it’s going to go. It’s more about enjoying the experience of writing and having no expectations or limitations on the process. . . You need those moments of inactivity just to listen to music. We’re all enjoying that right now.”
Out now is a special Standard and Deluxe vinyl 30th anniversary release of U2's Achtung Baby. Coming on December 3rd is a 50-track digital box set. The downloads will include Uber Remixes, Unter Remixes, and B-Sides — with 22 tracks never-before available digitally.
Earlier this month, U2 released its first new song since 2019, “Your Song Saved My Life,” which will be featured in the animated musical feature, Sing 2, which opens on December 22nd. Bono voiced the film's character “Clay Calloway,” who is described as “a reclusive lion rock star.” The Edge shed light on the band contributing to the film's soundtrack: “That’s not a thing that U2 normally does but it’s in the of spirit of mixing it up, keeping people guessing, and trying different things. It felt like a worthy thing. And also, it’s a movie about great songs and we felt very comfortable in the company that we were keeping there.”
When pressed about the rumors that U2 might be considering revamping the band's legendary 1992/1993 “Zoo TV” tour for the modern day, The Edge said, “I would love that and I couldn’t rule it out. I think ('Zoo TV') is such a current thought. Back then we were we’re dealing with the overload and kind of the whiplash of 24/7 news cycles, which hadn’t been known before. It was the overload of cable TV and hundreds and hundreds of channels. And little did we know that that was just the beginning of this avalanche of channels to kind of draw your attention.”
He went on to say, “I think 'Zoo TV' could absolutely come back and be just as relevant. But we haven’t actually got to the point of doing anything more than this kind of talk, but I wouldn’t rule it out again. The (production) team (from that tour) are still with us. That’s what’s fun about it.”
The Edge explained that ultimately with U2, the more things change, the more they stay the same: “That's the thing about a band, you get together at age 17, 18 — you all decide you wanna do the same thing, which is make music together, and then the years go by but you kinda still kind of maintain that same dynamic and it's, it's remarkable not so much what's changed over the years, but how little has changed over the years. Y'know, when we get into the studio, it still feels like we're making our first album. It's that same sort of intensity and combines with ambition and a little bit of desperation, as well. And you really just wanna give it your best, and nothing really much has changed over the years.”
