Zachary Mason has built a reputation for doing things his own way, and “The Funky Martians” is the kind of release that makes you glad he does. Dropped on July 25th, 2025, it is the second track on his upcoming three-part EP, 5…4…3…2…1…, and it might just be the most fun thing he has put out so far. The story at the heart of the song is gloriously silly in the best possible way. A human colony touches down on Mars, gets confronted by a hostile crowd of Martians, and narrowly avoids disaster, not through weapons or diplomacy, but through the accidental power of funk music. It is the kind of concept that could easily fall flat, but Zachary pulls it off with real charm and a genuine sense of humor that runs through every second of the track.
He voices all the characters himself, including the narrator, the colonists, and the Martians, using vocal effects that give each one a distinct personality. The delivery sits somewhere between spoken word and song, like a storyteller who got halfway through a rock concert and decided just to keep going. The guitars are treated with warped, psychedelic effects that give the whole thing an off-kilter, outer-space energy, and Nate Barnes of Rose Hill Drive keeps the rhythm locked in with drumming that hits hard without ever losing the groove. Then there is John Thomasson of Little Big Town on bass, whose contribution is frankly the backbone of the entire track. That bassline is the reason the Martians surrendered, and honestly, it is hard to argue with their taste.
This reviewer genuinely enjoyed “The Funky Martians” from start to finish. It carries echoes of Bowie’s theatrical confidence and the experimental spirit of artists Mason openly admires, yet it never sounds like it is borrowing from anyone. It sounds like Zachary Mason, which at this point is its own thing entirely. For anyone not yet familiar with his work, Mason has already earned coverage from SPIN Magazine, Rolling Stone En Español, and Plectrum Magazine, placed music with film and TV sync companies on two continents, and charted on indie radio. He has 15 songs out and around 200 demos sitting in the vault. The ambition is clearly not in short supply.
“The Funky Martians” is the kind of track that earns a permanent spot in a playlist and a follow on every platform. Make sure you are keeping up with Zachary ahead of the full 5…4…3…2…1… EP, because if this single is anything to go by, the rest of it is going to be worth the wait. Find him on Instagram (@zacharymasonsmusic), TikTok (@zacharymasonmusic), Facebook (@ZacharyMasonmusic), and X (@ZacharyMMusic), and head to www.zacharymasonmusic.com for everything else. Add the track, follow the artist, and get ready.
