chartless with Melissa Mulligan

Melissa Mulligan

chartless is the pod for musicians in uncharted territory. So, basically, all of us here and now!I'm your host, Melissa Mulligan, recording industry voice and artist development coach. I'll bring you solo episodes as well as heartfelt conversations with today's most innovative music makers. We're going to go deep into the truth of what it means to cultivate a sustainable and fulfilling career while being artistic, weird and authentic. I'd love for you to keep in touch! Please follow for updates, and reach out to me here: http://mastermindroad.com

  1. JAN 5

    Get Your Songs in Film and TV: With Chris SD

    Today, I’m joined by Chris SD, one of the most clear-headed voices in sync licensing today. Chris has helped songwriters and producers place music in major film and TV projects, including recent placements in the Oscar-winning film Anora! His work focuses on getting songs in front of A-list music supervisors in ways that are ethical, strategic, and grounded in how the industry actually functions. BONUS for those listening right now! You can meet with me, Chris, and a panel of music supervisors on Sunday, January 11th. Join more than 10,000 songwriters and composers for the largest sync licensing conversation in our industry. I’m so excited to invite you to this: [register here] In this episode:  We talk about what music supervisors are really listening for, and why so many common beliefs about sync licensing are simply untrue. Chris breaks down myths like needing a massive catalog of hundreds or thousands of songs, or having to write music for sync rather than making honest, well-crafted work. He explains what tends to matter far more, and where songwriters often overcomplicate things. We also dig into the legal side of sync, including copyright, ownership, and what artists should understand before their music is ever pitched. And yes, we go there, Chris answers the question that’s sitting in the back of a lot of people’s minds right now: what about AI? If sync licensing has ever felt confusing, intimidating, or wrapped in misinformation, this episode will change everything for you.

    33 min
  2. 12/11/2025

    Cheryl B. Engelhardt, 2026 Grammy Nominee, on Community and Creativity

    My friend and colleague Cheryl B. Engelhardt  is nominated for a Grammy this year for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album! According to the Moon is beautiful from top to bottom, especially if you love music that makes space for reflection and breath. We talk about the path that brought Cheryl here, including her first Grammy nomination when she became the first person ever to record an entire album on a transcontinental train using only a laptop and a small MIDI keyboard. Cheryl shares what she learned from that experience and why this new nomination feels different, softer, and more communal. One of the highlights is our shared admiration for my student Robin Tucker, who is a featured vocalist on one of the tracks. Cheryl introduced me to Robin (a longtime collaborator of hers) at her Amplify retreat for career musicians, and it is a joy to see the work recognized in this way. We also dig into what draws Cheryl to this genre, how the new age landscape is shifting, the creative decisions behind According to the Moon, and what it means to her to share this moment with her collaborators. As always, it is deeply grounding to walk beside Cheryl in this journey. I love all of our conversations and I'm grateful we get to share this one with you! If you’re a music maker, a collaborator, or someone who just loves hearing artists talk about the real process behind their work, this one is a good hang :)

    37 min
  3. 12/01/2025

    Kimi's Eurovision Quest: The Sun Will Rise Again

    Kimi was born in Kosovo during the war, while his family hid in the mountains for safety. When they returned home they slept in barns and abandoned trucks, and rebuilt their house by hand. To soothe her children, his mother sang to them with her beautiful voice. Now, more than twenty years later, Kimi is stepping onto the stage of Albania’s national FiK 64 festival, on his quest to qualify for Eurovision, with a song that reaches back to those roots.  Prap Dielli Del (“The Sun Will Rise Again”) is a message of hope drawn from a childhood shaped by uncertainty and a young adulthood marked by resilience. We talk about his move to New York seven years ago, the dark moments he fought through, and the choice he keeps making to lean into whatever hope he can find, even when it’s only one percent. We also revisit his American Idol moment when Katy Perry had him call his mother in Kosovo and sing to her before handing him a golden ticket to Hollywood, and that fateful day I met him in a studio in New York City and became his vocal coach. And, for the first time publicly, we share that I’ll be traveling with him to Albania to coach him during the festival! To listen to Prap Dielli Del, visit the RTSH YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt5Ajfg1EJA To follow Kimi's journey and connect with him directly, visit him on IG or TikTok @urboykimi To connect with me, please visit http://mastermindroad.com

    38 min

About

chartless is the pod for musicians in uncharted territory. So, basically, all of us here and now!I'm your host, Melissa Mulligan, recording industry voice and artist development coach. I'll bring you solo episodes as well as heartfelt conversations with today's most innovative music makers. We're going to go deep into the truth of what it means to cultivate a sustainable and fulfilling career while being artistic, weird and authentic. I'd love for you to keep in touch! Please follow for updates, and reach out to me here: http://mastermindroad.com