Interview: Five For Fighting on upcoming tours, music education, humanitarianism, longevity and more

Written By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

For close to three decades, Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist John Ondrasik (known best as Five For Fighting/FFF), has been a remarkable force in the musicianship realm of contemporary rock music as a pianist and singer-songwriter; releasing several live albums and six studio albums with chart-topping songs.

Currently launching a special string quartet tour this Spring and a tour with Vertical Horizon this Summer, Ondrasik took time for an extensive interview with OOTB to discuss both upcoming tours, releasing music to support humanitarian efforts, his passion for music education, motivation and inspiration inside and outside of music and much more.

With two upcoming tours scheduled (April-May and August), how will each tour differ? Will the string ensemble dates be more of a “storyteller” set?

I am so fortunate to play with world-class musicians in both the string quartet and rock band format.

Certainly, the quartet shows are more intimate and the smaller venues allow a more storytelling and pin-drop show. That said, there's not much better than playing summer concerts for larger crowds and rocking the house.

The nice thing about the different permutations of FFF is that I can pull different songs from my catalog that suit the experience.

I have been blessed to work with incredible composers, and we will certainly pull out certain songs for the quartet shows that we would not necessarily play with the rock band, and vice versa.

Doing string quartet shows during the Spring and Fall and the “back in the bus” Summer rock tours also keeps everything fresh, along with some solo shows and keynotes mixed in.

Also, after decades of touring, all of my road partners—whether they play viola or drums—are like family members, and getting together is a reunion that brings a lot of joy, and I'd like to think that reflects in the audience experience.

How do you decide on a setlist with a catalogue spanning two decades?

That's a great question. We always add, and arrange, at least one song with the quartet that we have never played before—sometimes it is a song I have never performed, so I will have to actually learn my own song! This year the song will be "Jainy" from the America Town album, that [song] seems to be requested often.

Of course we play the songs people expect to hear and have about 25 songs prepared, including covers, in case somebody shouts out a request from the audience.

There are also the new songs that find their way into the set—this year we will be doing "A Song For The Hostages" that I wrote after meeting with many hostage families last year.

Being inspired to write your most recent songs from current events (Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Hamas), what is it about humanitarianism and the fight for peace that resonates with you?

I'm actually a bit torn about this as I tend to get annoyed with celebrities who stand on their soapbox and lecture us about their political views.

That said, there is a long history of musicians writing about the times; and, whether it's Afghanistan, Ukraine, or the aftermath of October 7th, I believe these are moral songs, not political ones.

I learned early when "Superman" became one of the songs that recognized the heroes of 9/11, how music can provide a voice for the voiceless, and a certain solace unlike any other medium. I have seen that happen again with these recent songs.

Every time I write one, I hope I never have to write another one, but time will tell.

What’s your motivation for longevity as an artist and to keep going and touring since your first official release in 1997?

There's a joy when performing your music for an audience that is unlike anything else.

I always come back exhausted, but with a smile on my face; after these tours, after meeting so many people, and seeing America in a way few do.

We also have a wonderful duo opening for us—Lace and Lee—and I see my young self in their sparkling and excited eyes, every night.

Honestly, the reaction to the latest songs also gives me energy to write about things that few seem to be interested in doing.

There is a difference between success and significance, and though these new songs are not played on the radio like "Superman" and "100 Years," they seem to impact the world in ways that may be even more important.

But at the end of the day, I wish everybody could hear their song [sung] back to them; I still find myself in wonderland, even at 60-years-old.

What haven’t you done that you still want to do—musically and personally?

I spent a year writing a musical with some fantastic Broadway writers, that was a great experience, though the project never was realized. I often think about giving that another run.

I have another side of my life, which is a manufacturing business that has been in our family since 1946. The company's name is Precision Wire Products and we make the best shopping carts in the world! If you shop at Costco, you use our cart.

So: working at Precision with my dad and son; pursuing my childhood passion with music; supporting our troops and various charities; and, being the best son, husband, and dad I can tends to fill up most of my days.

What is your primary inspiration behind promoting music education with Let Music Fill My World?

When I was in fifth grade, LA Unified cut music funding to our elementary school. My mom took over and put on full musicals (I was Tony in West Side Story), that became an incredible experience for me and my fellow students that we talk about almost 50 years later.

Metrics show that having music in schools improves all aspects of education, including: reading, writing, and the sciences. It also has a great social boost for kids looking to find their voice.

Our Music Matters Challenge is our effort to ensure every school in America has a music teacher. I'm grateful for my partner Cayley Tullman and her family foundation for funding this effort.

I hope everybody checks out https://letmusicfillmyworld.com and participates

in our Music Matters Challenge (https://letmusicfillmyworld.com/challenge/)! Entrants can win prizes, but more importantly, help provide another full-time music teacher for a school in need.

Tour Dates

https://fiveforfighting.com/tour/

Touring Spring Quartet Musicians

Katie Kresek

(violin; Tony-Award winning concertmaster and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical)

Melissa Tong

(violin; Post Malone)

Chris Cardona

(viola, Broadway)

Peter Sachon

(cello, Broadway)

Touring Summer Rock Band