Watch the video for Sparks' 'Left Out in the Cold'
Anna Webber
Director Edgar Wright's recent Sundance documentary The Sparks Brothers served as a reminder that Sparks (a.k.a. siblings Ron and Russell Mael) are among music history's most entertainingly idiosyncratic acts. Another reminder? The track "Left Out in the Cold," from the band's 2020 album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip.
"It's about a guy who is hired by UNIQLO to test their down jackets, to make sure that they work in all sorts of environments," says Russell Mael. "So, this guy is shipped out to Winnipeg, Canada, and he's out there testing them and going through all these rigors. The guy later realizes how it is related to his life. In the last verse, he is speaking about how he once had another life where things were going better for himself, where he was able to wear short sleeve shirts and his life was fine, but now this is what his life has evolved into, and he's reminiscing about how he had better days. He's left, literally and figuratively, left out in the cold."
The brothers are now releasing a clip to go along with the song which Ron and Russell created following the start of the pandemic.
"This is Ron and myself, shooting it on our own," says Russell. "Each was shot in isolation and then, through the magic of filmmaking brought together on one big screen. In a certain way, I think it's a really good challenge, because it allows you to think in different ways, saying, 'Well, what can we do? How can we not succumb to the horrible situation that's out there in the world? How can we do something that's keeping in Sparks spirit?' If it means concocting new ways of working as a result of the COVID situation then you have to do it as an artist and you have to find creative ways to move forward and not be paralyzed. It allows you to come up with things that you normally wouldn't have done."
Exclusively watch the video for "Left Out in the Cold," below.
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