Karsh on U2 collab: Felt like life coming full circle (Exclusive)

“When I was 10, I first saw U2 on MTV and the song was Pride

“When I was 10, I first saw U2 on MTV and the song was Pride. Ever since that day, I became a fan of their work. When I was asked to do the mix 36 years later, it was a no-brainer, as it felt like life coming full circle,” says musician Karsh Kale, who took to social media yesterday to announce his collaboration with the 22 Grammy Award-winning rock band: “U2 just released their new version of Pride, which features orchestral and choir arrangements composed by me.”

Karsh Kale with U2

Talking to us about the collaboration, Kale says, “The song was originally written and released in the mid-80s. Our release is a reimagined version by a well-aged and mature U2. I provided orchestral and choral arrangements (children’s choir) for the song. It features the voices of the Hill Spring International School, Mumbai. The song was released yesterday (January 11) as a preview of the full-length 40-song anthology called U2 Songs Of Surrender that will release in March.”

Sharing the highlights of his engagement with the Irish band, Kale says, “The best thing about the process was getting the back and forth feedback and constructive criticism from Bono (U2’s lead vocalist and guitarist) and Edge (lead guitarist and vocalist) till we got it right. They are certainly perfectionists, which is also why U2 is one of the biggest bands in the world.”

Ask how the collaboration worked out and the musician explains how it all started “back in 2018”. He adds, “I was asked to do a remix of Pride in honour of U2s concert in Mumbai. Instead of the usual electronic club mix, I decided to make an orchestral, ambient version of the song. The band was intrigued by my mix and asked me to take it further by recording and arranging a children’s choir and other Indian elements. When I met the band in Mumbai, Bono told me that my mix ‘will live forever’ as he has something else in mind for it. And in January last year, I was contacted by U2 about using my orchestral and choral arrangements for their 2023 release of the song.”