U2’s The Edge explains why ‘sound’ is so important

There is nothing more important than “sound”. U2 guitarist The Edge.

He recently appeared on the Sodajerker podcast and discussed why the sonic elements of a song are so crucial. While his bandmates may prioritize the songs, The Edge prioritizes the “sound.”

“We at U2 say the songs are the main thing,” said The Edge. “For me, as a guitarist, sound is the main thing. If I have a certain sound, it will tell me what to do. That’s why sound is so important to me — because it’s going to lead me to a great guitar part if it’s a great sound.

“And if it’s a terrible or not very interesting sound, I’ll fight. I won’t be able to come up with anything interesting,” the legendary guitarist continued.

Of course, The Edge did known for creating iconic guitar riffs for U2. The Edge’s riffs on “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “The Flea” inspired generations of guitarists. Based on what he said, they must have had the right “sound” when he was developing the riffs.

What are U2, The Edge up to?

Currently, U2 and The Edge are in the studio working on their next studio album. The band hasn’t released an album of original material in over seven years since 2017’s Songs of Experience.

Fortunately, they are working on their new material. The Edge teased in the same interview that a new U2 song could be coming “very soon.”

They also reunited with drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who had to miss out residence of the band Sphere. He was recovering from injuries and was unable to perform with Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton. Bram van den Berg replaced him for 40 nights in Las Vegas.

Additionally, the band will likely embark on a tour shortly after releasing their next album. They haven’t toured since the extension of the Joshua Tree Anniversari Tour in 2019. However, they haven’t toured in North America or Europe since 2018.

The band’s Las Vegas residency centered around their 1991 album Achtung Babi. For the first time in history, they performed the entire album in concert. This included deep cuts like “So Cruel” and “Trying To Throw Guns Around The World”.

In the middle of each set, the band would also perform songs in acoustic arrangements. It had a similar vibe to their Songs of Surrender album, which consisted of 40 re-recorded songs by the band.

U2 was the first artist to perform at a high-tech venue. Since then, Phish, Dead & Company and The Eagles have all performed there.