“We're not trying to fulfill what Sparks is supposed to be; it's trying to begin again each time, but obviously, there's a sensibility that we can't escape. But what we can control - the externals and also just the strength of the material - just within our own sensibility, that's something that we really try to judge pretty harshly.”

American musician and songwriter, born 1948

Ron Mael is an American musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, music programmer, and film director. Born Ronald David Mael, he is best known as the keyboardist and principal songwriter of the pop and rock duo Sparks, which he founded with his younger brother Russell Mael in 1971. He is known for his offbeat, highly specific songwriting and for a keyboard style that is intricate and rhythmically driven. Onstage, he is often remembered for a dry, unmoving presence, set against Russell Mael’s more animated performance style. He is also noted for his conservative dress and his distinctive moustache, and he and his brother founded Lil' Beethoven Records.