Attention was drawn to the topic of musicians’ touring methods during the summer, with Beyoncé supposedly opting for a private jet to reach her concert in Cardiff, while Coldplay’s Chris Martin chose a more environmentally friendly approach by taking the train to the same city a few weeks later.

Chris Roberts, from Cardiff, said, “We’re not at all suggesting that everyone should give up driving and walk to all their gigs because it has completely taken over our lives, but things like choosing more sustainable routes (should be considered).”

The guitar player said the 27-year-olds had discovered “how little stuff” they need to gig, each carrying a 15kg (33lb) bag. Seth, from Gloucestershire, said, “I’ve got kind of a medium-sized backpack and using an elaborate system of carabiners, my fiddle is strapped to the back of a bag, and I’ve also got the mic. Chris has got his sort of massive guitar, which has got various bag straps on the outside of it and clothes stuffed in with the guitar.”

In the diverse city of Birmingham, Seth and Chris convene to create harmonious melodies inspired by the rich folklore of their respective origins, Wales and Gloucestershire. Operating under the name Filkin’s Drift, this musical duo seamlessly merges traditional and modern elements, skillfully intertwining the sounds of the fiddle and guitar with their captivating vocal harmonies.

Their intricate interplay on the fretted instruments evokes a sense of ornate beauty reminiscent of the Baroque era, while their lively fiddle and guitar tunes ignite the passion of audiences throughout the United Kingdom.

In addition to performing alongside Filkin’s Drift, Chris Roberts embarks on tours alongside pop singer Tanita Tikaram, collaborates on composing lullabies with new parents, and conducts workshops in SEND schools.

Seth Bye, an accomplished violinist, composer, and educator, has graced the stages of prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Cecil Sharpe House. He has also been a part of renowned festivals like Boomtown, Greenman, and Shambala. In addition to his solo performances, Seth is a member of the highly acclaimed Balkan band, The Destroyers, who were recently featured on BBC 1 for their performance at the Commonwealth Games. He has also toured with Giffords Circus, showcasing his skills on the fiddle, banjo, and accordion.

Following Songs of Surrender, U2’s acoustic, stripped down project released in March 2023, The Edge has professed an excitement to return to electric guitar. Speaking to Guitar Player on his perspective on electric guitar, he said, “I know the answer to that. I’ve been working a lot on new guitar music, and I’m very excited about it. It’s at that prototype stage where… who knows? But the answer to the question is ‘yes.’ I’m finding myself for the first time in a little while getting very excited about the electric guitar again.”

Aside from sharing an enthusiasm to return to electric guitar-based music, The Edge hasn’t given much away on what fans can expect from the U2’s new work yet. But, speaking on U2’s goal as a band, he shared, “Our challenge was always to get to that guy at the back of the room, somebody who isn’t really a fan or isn’t paying attention.”

Speaking on the thought process behind Songs of Surrender, The Edge said, “There was always an intense pitch to our music early on. So my thought here was, ‘Let’s take minimalism to the nth degree, if it’s appropriate.’ And on a lot of these songs, it worked. We left just the bare skeletons of the original arrangements in terms of themes and hooks, taking things down to a really light touch.”

Despite The Edge giving little away on the band’s musical plans moving forwards, frontman Bono has shared his thoughts on the direction that U2 had been moving in recently, and where they want to go from there.

Bono reflected, “We all make mistakes. The progressive-rock virus gets in, and we needed a vaccine. The discipline of our songwriting, the thing that made U2 — top-line melody, clear thoughts — had gone.”

He continued, “With the band, I was like, this is not what we do, and we can only do that experimental stuff if we have the songwriting chops. So we went to songwriting school, and we’re back and we’re good! Over those two albums, ‘Songs Of Innocence and Experience’, our songwriting returned. Now we need to put the firepower of rock ‘n’ roll back.”

Speaking on his plans for U2’s next rock project, Bono said, “I don’t know who is going to make our fuck-off rock ‘n’ roll album. You almost want an AC/DC, you want Mutt Lange. The approach. The discipline. The songwriting discipline. That’s what we want.”

U2 had been promoting the release of Songs of Ascent, an album that has been in the works since 2009. Bono shared in 2022 that this album is nearly complete, however its release has been put on hold in favour of releasing a “a noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album” first.

Stream U2’s newest album, Songs of Surrender, here: