Dublin school friends

Bono: U2's name and songs make me cringe

The band, comprised of Dublin schoolmates, has sold more than 150 million albums over a 40-year career.

But speaking on the Awards Chatter podcast, the 61-year-old said that, aside from 2004 track Vertigo, he finds it hard to listen to their music.

He added that his voice sounds "very strained" on earlier recordings.

"I've been in a car when one of our songs has come on the radio, and I've been the colour of - as we say in Dublin - scarlet," he told The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg during an hour-long interview.