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Sparks has been making music for more than half a century. They see no reason to retire

Sparks has been making music for more than half a century. They see no reason to retire

Washington Post22-05-2025

LOS ANGELES — They've spent more than half a century together as bandmates, putting out dozens of records. But brothers Ron and Russell Mael — the duo behind the art-pop band Sparks — have no intention of retiring anytime soon.
The band's sound has been ever-evolving since its inception. Ron, 79, and Russell, 76, view resisting any impulse to remain the same or rest on a previous record's success as a central priority. Ahead of the release of 'Mad!,' their 28th studio album, on Friday, as well as an upcoming tour, the pair spoke with The Associated Press about why they keep working, not waiting for inspiration to strike and why it's been so meaningful for younger generations to find their music. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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