All About Sacha

SACHA MULLIN is a Chicago-based singer–songwriter and educator noted for his “commanding yet vulnerable” singing style, wide vocal range, and jazzy, intense, and ethereal compositions. While critics often compare him to David Sylvian and Jeff Buckley, his influences are rooted in artists such as Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, and Geike Arnaert. His songs often hinge on intimate, elastic vocals—moving from hushed precision to sudden, soaring intensity—set against angular melodies and dense, harmonically adventurous arrangements that blur pop, jazz, and experimental forms.

His first two solo albums Whelm (2013) and Duplex (2017) earned acclaim, with Duplex drawing attention from BBC Radio 6, WBEZ’s Vocalo, and The Wire, which described his turn at progressive pop as “an Alpine hike [in an otherwise flat landscape].” Moreover, the Chicago Reader has long championed his work, over the years dubbing him an “angel,” an “alien,” “George Michael fronting Gong,” and a “vocalist extraordinaire.” They also profiled him as a Chicagoan of Note in 2021 and named him the winner of two 2024 Best of Chicago Reader awards: Best Music Teacher and Best Pop Artist of Chicago.

Released in collaboration with Dipterid Records, Mullin’s third album, Casino Wilderness Period (2023), was produced by avant-rock luminary Todd Rittmann and features supporting performances by celebrated vocalists Emily Bindiger, Judi Vinar, Annmarie Cullen, and Mem Nahadr. The album received international acclaim from outlets including Earmilk, PROG Magazine, Make Weird Music, and NPR, along with the endorsement of Canadian musician Alexz Johnson. Mullin would go on to cover two of Johnson’s songs as B-sides (“Wishing on a Star” and “Voodoo”), and the two sang her song “Let Me Fall” impromptu at one of her Illinois concert dates.

Mullin’s fourth solo album, Social Touch, produced by William Parker Wood, is anticipated in early 2026.

A frequent collaborative performer, Mullin has sung with a kaleidoscope of artists including Bobby McFerrin, Robbie Kondor, Jeanne Arland & Patty Peterson, Travis Orbin, Lori Dokken, Evelyn Davis, Cory Wong, Catherine Russell, Hannibal Lokumbe, Janika Vandervelde, Carla Kihlstedt, Octavia Reese, Nicholas Gunn, Philip Blackburn, Debbie Duncan, and Dessa; shared stages with Lightning Bolt, Kayo Dot, Guerilla Toss, Julie Gold, Chris Botti, Sheila E., Light Beams, Dougie Poole, Atmosphere, The Mercury Tree, and a prog-era Mitski; and has been heard on NPR, MTV, CBS, BBC, the Netherlands’ NPO, plus—as a teenager—Japan’s NHK, telecommuting recordings in the company of Gabriele Roberto, Donna Burke, and Crystal Kay.
Mullin was championed by late friends Julee Cruise and Margaret Dorn, and is also known for his work with eccentrically named bands such as Dead Rider, Cheer-Accident, Lovely Little Girls, American Draft, The Gabriel Construct, Guzzlemug, and vocal trio Vitamin Drama. He has contributed work to numerous commercial and indie film projects; sung for high-profile clients, dignitaries, and events; served as a talent scout for reality television—including America’s Got Talent and The X Factor USA; and collaborated on PR projects involving George Takei, Sia, Roddy Bottum, and Sons of the Never Wrong. On occasion, he has found himself duetting during karaoke with the likes of Senator Graciela Guzmán and Zooey Deschanel.