Bono’s son Elijah Hewson has said the success of his band Inhaler is partly down to finding a fanbase who have never heard of U2.

The Irish rock band are tipped to reach number one on Friday with their critically acclaimed debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This.

Hewson told the PA news agency being the son of a rock star had opened “a lot of doors” but the band still had to prove themselves.

U2 eXPERIENCE and iNNOCENCE tour
U2 frontman Bono (Andrew Matthews/PA)

He said: “I don’t blame people who are interested in it. I would be interested if I heard that some person was in the same position I was in.

“But I think we have grown to accept it. It is what it is. I don’t think there is much point deflecting. If people want to talk about it, they want to talk about it.

“We have definitely found our own fanbase in the UK who maybe don’t know who U2 is or are.

“It has definitely allowed a lot of doors to be opened but I think those doors shut just as fast because some people may have pre-biases to the band.

“But we are OK with that as long as you come to see a show and you buy a T-shirt on the way out.”

The quartet from Dublin released their first single, I Want You, in 2017 and were recognised as up-and-coming talent after they placed fifth in BBC’s Sound Of 2020.

The band consists of 21-year-old singer Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, drummer Ryan McMahon and guitarist Josh Jenkinson.

Hewson said suggestions that he sounds like his father, who has fronted U2 since 1976, are “not much of a surprise because it’s just DNA, isn’t it”.

He added that the band “grafted” to reach their current level of success, despite the pandemic halting their career progression and delaying tour dates.

“It’s of course really, really handy to be able go to someone like that and ask for advice,” he said. “But I think we have all discovered that we need to figure things out on their own.

“I am sure a lot of people would have expected us just to take the easy route and use connections and stuff, but we haven’t done that.

“We did all the grafting. We have done a lot of grafting. You need to do it yourself to build character and make sure that your band can continue.”

It Won’t Always Be Like This by Inhaler is out now on Polydor.