“In music, there seems to be a myth that being authentic and genuine ha...” — Russell Mael Quote

“In music, there seems to be a myth that being authentic and genuine has to be confessional, and we think what Sparks is doing is 100 per cent authentic and genuine, and still dealing with people's emotions - albeit via a different way of doing it, with situational lyrics that are almost little novellas.”

“There are all these safety nets in pop music.”

“The unfortunate thing with COVID is that Ron's been working separately from me, but it hasn't stopped the flow of things.”

“My favourite film is 'Tootsie.' I suppose that's because it's very much about my industry and I love all the jokes, albeit a slightly bygone age of the 1980s, a world that I really understand.”

“I respect everyone at Burnley, the owners, the people who gave me the chance to work there, and I really, really enjoyed it, albeit the team was in transition.”

“However far fiction writers stray from their own lives and experiences - and I stray pretty far from mine - I think, ultimately, that we may be writing what we need to write in some way, albeit unconsciously.”