June 10, 2011 10:04

U2 'gutted' to delay new album until 2012

Adam Clayton says RedOne sessions weren't the 'right fit'

Photo Gallery: U2
Photo: Drew Farrell/NME

U2 have delayed the release of their new studio album to next year.

The band had been working on sessions with both Danger Mouse and producer RedOne on the new album, but bassist Adam Clayton has said that sessions with the latter hadn't gone quite as planned. As a result a late 2012 release now looks likely.

"We had to have a meeting and look at the schedule to see if we could pick up any extra time to work on it," he told Rolling Stone. "We just realised that we couldn't. To be honest, everyone was a bit gutted. But it was the only sensible decision."

He added: "We have to focus on what we do best, and the work we did with Danger Mouse came closest to that. We want to be in the clubs and make pop music as well as the thing U2 does, but in the end, the thing we did with RedOne doesn't feel like the right fit."

U2 are set to headline Glastonbury later this month.