Solo artist Zachary Mason releases his most recent three-song EP, Welcome to My Heart. Recorded in a small studio in Guildford, UK, Zachary returned to his folk roots, with acoustic guitar-driven tracks, mellow drums, and hypnotizing melodies.
Read our interview with Zachary below.
MIM: For readers discovering you for the first time, how would you describe your sound?
Zachary: I like to explore different sounds, moods and feelings, so I’ve released music in genres such as Folk Rock, Folk Pop, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock, Dream Pop/Rock, and more!
Having said that, my songs often feature simple yet compelling melodies, with strong notes and phrases and often direct lyrics. My sound also incorporates more old-fashioned elements than some artists today might choose to, and this is a consequence of my love of older music.
MIM: What inspired the project you’re currently promoting?
Zachary: Funny enough, the three tracks on Welcome To My Heart were recorded in three consecutive years– 2023, 2024 and 2025- with no prior idea for the EP.
At some point recently, I decided that the three songs would fit well together on an EP, and Welcome To My Heart seemed like the right title!
MIM: Can you walk us through the creation process?
Zachary: The opening track, Can’t Feel My Autumn… , is about my inability to appreciate Autumn, a special time of year for me, with the usual emotional depth due to some medication I was on then and still am to this day.
I also had COVID when I recorded the song, so I guess the whole experience was a bit of a strange one! Thankfully, I just had a bit of a tickly throat at the time, and the medication still allowed for some emotion, so it got done and here it is today!
MIM: Was there a particular song or moment in the project that felt especially important to you?
Zachary: The concluding piece, Me And I, is my favourite on the EP. It is the longest song on there and I like the instrumental parts and also the emotive feel of the chorus. Everyone will have their own favorite of course- don’t let me decide for you!
MIM: Every artist has influences. Who helped shape your sound, and in what ways?
Zachary: Artists and bands like Neil Young, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and others have all featured regularly in my listening library over the years, so you can probably find a few particles from their artistic souls floating around in my own!
Their own emotions and ideas interwined with my own and, in time, I began to produce my own work with their inspiration and my love of music as a solid foundation!
MIM: How old were you when you began creating music?
Zachary: Well, I first picked up a guitar in the fall of 2012 at the age of 15, and from then on I played sporadically and occasionally made up songs or little pieces. It wasn’t until 2021, when a relative gifted me with a professional recording kit, that I began to take it more seriously.
Later that year, I decided I wanted to become a musician, but it wasn’t until mid 2023 that I fully realised that dream with my debut single, Special People!
MIM: Do you have any hidden talents or unusual quirks?
Zachary: In addition to my music, I also write and recently released my commercial debut as an author, The Sound Of An Engine, which currently holds a five star rating on Goodreads! A desire to write actually came before my desire to release music, so it was nice to get some work out there!
I’ve also published a reasonable amount of poetry, short stories and essays on my website, scribblings.uk, and have also had material published online and in print by Fevers Of The Mind.
MIM: If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self starting out in music, what would it be?
Zachary: Learn to record your songs better! I’ve lost a whole heap of interesting demos from the 2021-2022 period, due to poor recording techniques, and that hurts! It can be so difficult to capture the exact sound and feel of an original demo by re-recording!
MIM: If someone is hearing your music for the first time, what song should they start with? And why that one?
Zachary: I would recommend a different song depending on the type of person. If you are an older person with a thoughtful inclination, songs like Hello World or Me And I might be for you… For someone younger or for someone with broad musical tastes, you could try: I Wish Humans Were Made In A Factory… If you dare…!
MIM: What can listeners look forward to from you?
I’ve recently been working with a producer with a big history and reputation in music! The song we did will be my next release! For more info, you’ll just have to wait a bit longer, I’m afraid!
Stay tuned for more tracks from Zachary Mason.
