We aim to create the sounds of tomorrow.

It’s confirmed. U2 is back in the studio crafting new tracks after an eight-year hiatus.

The quartet had taken an extended break while drummer Larry Mullen Jr. recuperated from neck surgery.

Years of wear and tear to his “elbows, knees, and neck” hindered him from recording new material (aside from 2023’s Atomic City) and led U2 to bring in Dutch drummer Bram van den Berg for last year’s residency in Las Vegas.

“It was tough being sidelined due to injury,” shares Mullen Jr., “so I’m excited to return to a creative space, even though I’m not fully there and some things are falling apart.”

“It’s quite extraordinary,” he continues. “While I was away from the band, I missed it more than I realized.”

The band is sharing their thoughts backstage at the Ivor Novello Awards, where they’ve made history as the first Irish group to receive the fellowship of the Ivors’ songwriting academy.

This prestigious honor aligns them with previous laureates like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Kate Bush, and Joan Armatrading.

Bono, usually relaxed and talkative, becomes animated discussing U2’s latest writing sessions.

“It was just the four of us in a room, working on a new song and feeling that spark. Oh yes, that’s chemistry!”

“We felt it back when we were 17. We’ve experienced it through the years, but sometimes it fades, especially given that modern music often doesn’t nurture that kind of chemistry.

“Isn’t it funny that now, just bass, drums, guitar, and a loudmouthed singer feels like a novel concept?”

“That’s the state of things as we move into 2025.”

The last five years have seen the band reflecting deeply.

In 2019, they embarked on a stadium tour to honor their iconic Joshua Tree album. During the pandemic, Bono wrote his memoir, Surrender, which pushed the band to revisit and re-record some of their notable hits on their largely acoustic album, Songs Of Surrender.

Their Vegas shows last year echoed their reinvention from the 1990s seen in Achtung Baby, culminating in an archival release featuring unreleased tracks from 2004’s How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

“We took a moment to reflect on the past – but that’s necessary to grasp where our desire to connect originated,” says Bono.

“Then we transition to the present and the future – because we’re most excited about creating the sound of tomorrow.”

“It’s yet to be unveiled. It’s ours to shape, and that’s our opportunity.”

Being present at the Ivor Novello Awards provides the band a chance to recount their journey, in front of an audience that includes Bruce Springsteen, Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran, Brian Eno, and Lola Young.

“When we gathered in Larry Mullen’s kitchen back in 1976, this was unimaginable,” says bassist Adam Clayton.

“We never thought the band would reach this age!”

Mullen Jr. remembers the record executive who suggested that the rest of the group should dismiss him, while the legendary guitarist The Edge humorously adapts a version of My Way, highlighting how he always has the final say.

Bono isn’t having any of it.

“I’d like to remind everyone that The Edge was the first to suggest breaking up the band,” he quips.

“We’ve all had that thought since, but back in 1982, when he was 21, he decided he was done with the music industry’s inflated egos and posturing.

“I asked him, ‘Will you make an exception for me?’”

Presumably, he agreed.

Backstage, they reminisce about their origins in Dublin’s punk scene, which allowed four inexperienced musicians the freedom to follow their aspirations.

“We didn’t come from a background of great songwriters,” shares Mullen Jr. “We lacked blues skills, so we started from ground zero, all of us.”

“Our early influences included bands like The Ramones, crafting these three-minute pop anthems, along with Patti Smith, who brought a more poetic outlook and societal awareness,” adds bassist Adam Clayton.

“We understood the bar was set high, but we were just starting at the foundational level.”

“Punk rock marked a fresh start for us,” Bono chimes in.

“We didn’t want to be constrained by the past in any fashion. So we began with a blank slate, which was a blessing because emulating other artists was beyond our abilities. We simply started creating our own music.”

Over the years, they refined those skills. Inspired by Bob Marley—their label-mate on Island Records—they discovered that rock music could delve into more than just attitude and allure.

“Bob could sing about anything,” Bono points out.

“He’d sing to divinity, to his lovers, to everyday people. There were no limits for Bob Marley—he was the right influence for us because that’s the direction we wanted to take.”

“Every songwriter recognizes they must write about issues that resonate with them,” The Edge agrees.

“That’s when it resonates and carries significance. Otherwise, it’s mere pretense.”

Throughout the Ivor ceremony, the strong camaraderie shared by U2 is evident—expressed through playful banter.

They attempt to entice The Edge into dancing for the BBC’s TV team. Mullen brings up their cross-dressing exploits from the 1990s, while Bono recalls Paul Weller’s biting critique of their ensemble.

“When asked why he dislikes U2, he remarked, ‘Because they wear cowboy boots.’

“‘I rest my case.’

Fortunately, those cowboy boots belong to a bygone era (tonight, Bono sports Cuban heels) and, despite Weller’s disdain, U2 remains one of rock’s most prominent bands, with sales exceeding 175 million albums globally.

They have had their share of missteps—Clayton notably went missing during a drinking spree in New Zealand during the massive Zoo TV tour (he’s now sober and appearing on Gardener’s World), and the band has continually apologized for the ill-fated decision to automatically include their 2014 album, Songs of Innocence, onto unsuspecting iPhones.

“The free U2 album is overpriced,” was one disgruntled user’s comment.

In his autobiography, Bono accepted “full responsibility” for that incident.

“I reasoned that if we could make our music easily accessible, people might be inclined to explore it,” he reflected.

“Not quite.”

As they step into their fifth decade, the band is prepared to “reapply for the title of best band in the world,” as they famously declared in 2001.

A year ago, Bono shared his aspiration to create “a loud, unapologetic, and unreasonable guitar album,” citing AC/DC as a source of inspiration.

At the Ivors, I inadvertently misquote him as saying “an unassailable guitar record.”

“I’m really pleased with that descriptor—unassailable,” he responds, testing it out.

“I think he meant ‘un-sellable’,” Mullen Jr. fires back.

“But listen,” Bono retorts, “we’ve got a guitar virtuoso in our midst, and the only one who doesn’t acknowledge it is him.

“We tell him daily, but he prefers the piano… and occasionally, the spoons.”

“It’s blackmail,” insists The Edge, the typically unflappable guitarist momentarily unsettled.

“The guys keep going on about this guitar album we’re working on, and I’m at home thinking, ‘Alright, I’d better get on it.’

Time is running out…