Days Of Ash: U2 issue surprise release of new EP, with Ed Sheeran among the guests 

Days Of Ash is U2's first body of new music since 2017, and addresses various topical issues such as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East

U2 have just released a new EP entitled Days Of Ash. Picture: Anton Corbijn

U2 surprised the music world on Wednesday evening with the release of a six-track EP dealing with current events in such trouble-spots as Ukraine and the Middle East. U2 - Days Of Ash contains five new songs and a poem, and is the Irish band’s first body of original work since the Songs of Experience album in 2017.

In recent years, the Irish foursome have mainly focused on reworkings and reissues of older material, as well as playing a widely-praised 40-concert residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas.