Single Review: ‘Zero’ – Long Distance Runner
Single Review: ‘Zero’ – Long Distance Runner ‘Zero’ opens with a swell of rising feedback, howling like wind through the trees before independent guitar lines gradually emerge. By Eli Callingham 14 July 2026 ‘Zero’ is the debut single from West London instrumental outfit Long Distance Runner. Comprised of members of Mandrake Handshake and Dead Dad’s Club, the track offers the first glimpse into the band’s improvisational and immersive sonic world. Over the past eighteen months they have become a fixture of London’s grassroots circuit, selling out The George Tavern for just their sixth ever show and holding a month long-residency at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes, establishing themselves as a formidable live act. Photo by Jude Jansen – @jude.jansen With a three guitar lineup that summons the vast scale of post-rock, intricate interlocking parts weave around one another forming a sonic tapestry in real time. Echoes of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky sit alongside the delicate, twinkling gleam of Midwest emo, while the clattering breaks and rhythmic precision evokes the motorik pulse and spirit of Jaki Liebezeit. ‘Zero’ opens with a swell of rising feedback, howling like wind through the trees before independent guitar lines gradually emerge. The track unfolds with great patience, drifting between frenetic surges and moments of quiet restraint. Each instrument feels locked in conversation with the other, as ideas emerge, dissolve and reappear with effortless fluidity. It carries the listener across imagined landscapes that feel at once wistful, expansive and quietly transporting. The band’s improvisational spirit is central to ‘Zero’. Originally conceived as an impromptu addition to their first live set, existing without set structure and changing shape with every performance. Even in its recorded form it retains that openness, offering an introduction that feels alive, fierce and wholly absorbing. Long Distance Runner Support Alt-rock veterans Swervedriver for a first UK tour later this year, starting with Village Underground on 23rd October. [Tickets Here] You Might Also Like Recent Posts