Some artists write songs. Others build entire universes. On 5…4…3…2…1…, released October 3, 2025, Guildford-based musician Zachary Mason does both at once. Across just three tracks, he creates a sci-fi triptych that is funny, strange, cinematic, and unexpectedly moving. It’s a compact project with the imagination of a full-length concept album, the wild charm of vintage space rock, and the melodic instincts of an artist unafraid to take risks. While it’s his first official EP release, it feels like a milestone far bigger — a defining moment in the arc of an artist who’s been steadily evolving since his 2023 debut Songs.
Zachary has always been prolific. Over 200 demos sit in the archives of the home recording kit he received in 2021, each track another step in a growing, shifting musical identity. His influences are wide: Neil Young’s earthy tone, Bob Dylan’s narrative edge, Bowie’s cosmic chaos, The Beatles’ melodic brilliance. And yet, none of his music sounds like imitation. Instead, those influences float around his work like satellites — familiar shapes orbiting an aesthetic that is unmistakably his.
With 5…4…3…2…1…, Zachary embraces his most adventurous side. The core story moves like a three-act sci-fi musical, blending psychedelic textures, experimental passages, and rock elements into something that feels both humorous and sincere. It’s the sound of an artist leaning fully into imagination without losing his emotional grounding.
The opener 5…4…3…2…1… sets the tone: humanity is leaving Earth. Climate change, destruction, and the consequences of our own carelessness have finally forced a mass exodus. But instead of leaning into doom and dread, Zachary builds a soundscape that feels theatrical and alive. There’s a kind of retro-futuristic charm in the way the track moves, channeling the spirit of space rock’s glory days while infusing it with modern quirkiness. Nate Barnes of Rose Hill Drive brings sharp, expressive drumming that gives the track its pulse, while bassist John Thomasson grounds the chaos with a sense of weight and gravity.
The song balances humor with heartbreak. Humanity is running away from its mistakes, propelled into the unknown, and there’s a sadness in that. But the track never collapses under the weight of its premise — instead, it glows with the kind of strange hope that only sci-fi narratives can muster.
Then comes The Funky Martians, the EP’s most playful track and a highlight that instantly sticks to the brain. The humans land on Mars, only to meet their first obstacle: hostile Martians. But in classic Zachary fashion, that conflict dissolves not through violence, but through an absurd accidental victory. It’s storytelling rooted in whimsy, powered by funky rhythms and a psychedelic edge. The bass work from Thomasson enhances the track’s bounce, while Barnes’ drumming adds tight, almost theatrical energy.
The song becomes a miniature rock opera — campy sci-fi blended with real musical seriousness. The Martians are threatening, ridiculous, charming, and defeated all at once. It’s Zachary Mason at his most imaginative, letting creativity lead the way without ever letting go of musical precision.
The EP closes with Earthsick, the emotional spine of the project. After the chaos, the humor, and the explosive Martian encounter, humanity realizes an uncomfortable truth: they miss the world they destroyed. The lyrics reflect regret, nostalgia, and a longing that hits harder because of the two songs that precede it. It’s a quiet punch to the heart. The track marks the first time Zachary plays bass on a recorded release, using keyboards to sculpt a low-end tone that feels soft, melancholy, and introspective.
Derrick Lin — mixing and mastering engineer and founder of Voyage In Solitude — ties the EP together with clarity and depth. Even with all its stylistic shifts, the project feels coherent, unified by its narrative arc and sonic world-building.
What makes 5…4…3…2…1… truly stand out is its wild mixture of tones. It’s funny, yet serious. Sci-fi, yet human. Big in theme, small in track count. Zachary Mason uses the EP format to show not just what he can do, but how many directions he can move in at once. From the space rock propulsion of the opener to the psychedelic cartoon energy of the second track to the reflective melancholy of the closer, he proves himself an artist who thrives on versatility.
That artistic fearlessness has already caught the eye of tastemakers around the world. Features in publications like Rolling Stone En Español, The Big Takeover, Cage Riot, Yuva.Official, and TJPL News highlight his growing reach. His Groover-charting singles, sync placements with companies like YTINIFNI Pictures and Relva Music, and a 2025 SPIN Magazine interview show how steadily his profile continues to rise. Yet despite these achievements, Zachary retains a sense of DIY sincerity that makes his work feel personal and grounded.
On 5…4…3…2…1…, that sincerity shows up most clearly in Earthsick. Beneath the quirky plot and cosmic humor lies a sobering idea: we only miss what we’ve lost once it’s too late. The humans in Zachary’s story long for the world they destroyed. It’s a sharp commentary disguised as sci-fi storytelling, a reminder of the fragility of the planet and the dangerous comfort of complacency.
Zachary Mason may be launching listeners into space on this EP, but the emotions pull us right back to Earth. It’s a clever, ambitious, and surprisingly heartfelt project that reveals the depth and range of an artist who refuses to stay in one lane. If this EP is any indication, the next chapter in Zachary’s career will be even bolder, stranger, and more compelling.
For now, 5…4…3…2…1… stands as a landmark — proof that Zachary Mason is not just writing songs, but building worlds. And he’s only just getting started.
