U2 drops six surprise ‘songs of defiance’ in response to ICE shootings

Rock band is latest group to release new music in the wake of the deadly Minneapolis ICE shootings CultureMusicNewsU2 drops six surprise ‘songs of defiance’ in response to ICE shootingsRock band is latest group to release new music in the wake of the deadly Minneapolis ICE shootingsCaitlin Hornik in New York Wednesday 18 February 2026 18:52 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverCloseU2 Condemn Netanyahu & Call For Peace In Gaza.Get the inside track from Roisin O'Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear ThisGet our free music newsletter Now Hear ThisGet our free music newsletter Now Hear ThisEmail*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy noticeU2 have released six songs in response to current events in America, including the shooting death of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis.Titled Days of Ash, the band’s new EP was described in a press release as “an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.”U2 frontman Bono said in a statement that the tracks are “very different in mood and theme” from those that will be released as part of the band’s new album later this year. “These EP tracks couldn’t wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world,” he said. “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,” Bono continued. More to followMore aboutU2Join our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next