You have to admire Adam Clayton and his U2 brothers, Bono, The Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. They continue to strive in the manner of an up-and-coming group, hungry for their big break, despite their distinguished status. Indeed, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted Irish outfit — who have amassed 22 Grammy Awards, sold upwards of 170 million records, collected $1.67 billion in ticket sales, and changed the sound of rock — is showing no signs of slowing down after 47 years. This year they released their 15th album, Songs of Surrender [Island/Interscope], which features 40 previously recorded tracks that the band reworked and reimagined to accompany frontman Bono’s book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story [Knopf, 2022]. Additionally, their Disney+ documentary, Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming With David Letterman, debuted just before it was announced that they would be taking on a Las Vegas residency at the freshly opened MSG Sphere, from September to November 2023.   At the same time, Fender unveiled the Adam Clayton ACB 50 combo amp. It’s the iconic company’s first-ever signature bass amp, for which they worked closely with the 63-year-old bassist. In doing so, Clayton was able to replicate his signature U2 tone: midrange-heavy, with plenty of low end. Asked what sparked his interest in a signature model, he candidly replies, “Well, a few years back Fender gave The Edge his own signature amp, and I just couldn’t be outdone — so I had to get them on the phone and demand my own model. You really think I’m going to let him outdo me like that?”    All kidding aside, Clayton’s humble nature, both in personality and in his playing, has made him the perfect cornerstone to drive U2’s ever-changing music. With his penchant for understated grooves and memorable lines, he has continued to evolve, while finding inspiration in new places — including the next generation of bass players. While many of his contemporaries have retired, Clayton remains determined to improve as a student of the bass, and he has plenty of playing left to do. “Four-and-a-half decades might seem like a lot for some people, but this music keeps us all feeling young. And that’s not something you’re ever eager to walk away from.”For Songs of Surrender, what was it like going back and reimagining these 40 songs from your catalog? It’s been one of the most amazing releases, because we worked on these 40 tunes, and we didn’t quite know what the end result was going to be. We just knew that Bono had taken some time to tell his story in his book. It worked out that the way he structured the story was based on four key songs. We didn’t know what the book was going to be about or whatever, but Edge said, “Let me go and tinker with these.” It was during lockdown, so we couldn’t all get together, but he wanted to try out some different arrangements. What he did was essentially all acoustic, and we said, “Okay we’ll go for