U2 have returned in full force to their Christian roots with another surprise EP - Easter Lily, dropping on Good Friday 2026. The six-track EP features the familiar guitar delays from The Edge, Larry's propulsive drumming, thick Adam Clayton basslines, and even a minimalist Brian Eno soundscape overlayed with Bono's singing and spoken word. There are echos of U2 of yore, from the droplets of October, to the particulates of Zooropa, to the fallout of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
"Easter Lily" comes just 43 days after the band's "Days of Ash" EP, marking a "feast" of new music and a record for most releases by U2 in such a short time frame. The title of this EP acknowledges Patti Smith's 1978 album "Easter," while producer Hal Willner, who would have turned 70 years old on Easter Monday, is honored with "Song for Hal." The Irish connection to the Easter lily flower commemorates the fallen combatants from the 1916 Rising for a united Ireland, as well as the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Accompanying the new EP is a 52-page, jam-packed, special Propaganda E-zine (Volume 3, Issue 2) featuring lyrics of all the new songs, along with all four band members contributing thoughts of their own. Also included, as stated on U2.com, are sleeve notes from The Edge; Adam Clayton on art and the journey of recovery; a conversation between Bono and Franciscan friar Richard Rohr; and in-the-studio photographs shot by Larry Mullen Jr. Furthermore, producer Jacknife Lee is interviewed and Gavin Friday shares his own piece on Hal Willner, who was a longtime collaborator and friend of his.
Here's the tracklist (each with accompanying lyric videos):
1. Song for Hal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO8lTJpZAMc
2. In a Life - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43N4LnDj9_M%27
3. Scars - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1r-qvaRryo
4. Resurrection Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0I3Y2s93VI
5. Easter Parade - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VTBM3AnkTU
6. COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWGapQFwy44
Bono also included a note in the U2.com email that was sent out at midnight EST:
"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."
Copyright © 2026 U2Station.com
U2Station.com on Facebook
U2Station.com on Flickr
Skip to top
Leave a comment