It has been since February 16, 2015, that I last had a zero backlog of writing to complete in my work. That status will change in a few weeks as I return to work, but it is a personally proud moment nonetheless.
In honour of that milestone being achieved yesterday, I have been listening to my favourite “Zero Song.”
GIRLS NAMES 🇬🇧 were both a criminally underrated and mostly unknown post- punk outfit from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
They were around from 2009 to 2019 and released 4 excellent LPs and 5 EPs that grace my collection on CD.
I was a fan from the get go. I also was partial to their more melodic spin off band- SEA PINKS 🇬🇧.
After a decade of brilliant indie post- punk releases, and very little commercial momentum, GIRLS NAMES packed it in. On their final Instagram post they summed up their ongoing frustration with the music business bitterly, as follows:
“So after a whole decade we’ve decided to call time on the band. It’s been some journey from absolutely nothing- literally absolutely nothing, no clue but naïvety, ignorance and some youthful idealism. But ten years is a long time to be neither here nor there.”
I was sad to see them go, but I admired their realism and still love their excellent discography.
Perhaps my favourite GIRLS NAMES track is the one- off single “Zero Triptych.”
It is a paean to the GROUP ZERO art movement from post WWII Europe that started in the late 1950s.
The band described the song to FADER as follows:
CATHAL CULLY from the band described the song as being a transition from their earlier more surf- punk music.
Ironically, it was released in that same year (2015) I had my first reserve (on my 6th day as a sitting justice) and runs for 11 minutes- mirroring the number of years of this journey to zero.
It is a song in 3 parts. It starts with an ominous addictive, pulsating bass drone and soundscape before the first taste of immaculate guitar work (@ 2:10). A relentless drum beat kicks in at 2:27 and muted vocals arrive at 3:27. The song then builds cacophonously (which I love) until the end @ 10:58 min. I have listened to this somewhat nihilist track more than I will admit.
Here it is to celebrate “zero” or “nothing” on YouTube, plus a bonus video live in Wales. On SPOTIFY, I offer the studio version, plus a a muted remix by MIKEY YOUNG 🇦🇺 from EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING for you to listen to before bed.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xEGl5GLybcc&pp=ygUZZ2lybHMgbmFtZXMgemVybyB0cnlwdHVjaA%3D%3D&ra=m
SPOTIFY-
https://open.spotify.com/track/5RKmuAgYTjnYaIR2ghj41X?si=z0io3-cVTcGAUgPGhpjnGg&utm_source=copy-link
Remix by MIKEY YOUNG-
https://open.spotify.com/track/6OHJFD0meKfZz6ZKx75UQz?si=7oqNBF0xTVK-UViNHLxvWQ&utm_source=copy-link
(SONG 1712)
Play Loud Or Perish
7/30/2026
underground365 
Leave a comment