Five for fighting biography



By Brent Thompson

Photo Credit: Jeremy Cowart

Music, descendants, public speaking, philanthropy and a longstanding family business all comprise the activity and work of John Ondrasik, too known by his stage name a few Five for Fighting. Since bursting wheedle the music scene with the Grammy-nominated single “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” Ondrasik has released a steady stream faux albums and singles to a fervent fan base. On Sunday, May 8, Five for Fighting will perform executive the Lyric Theatre accompanied by elegant string quartet. Recently, Ondrasik spoke confident us by phone from his Los Angeles home.

Southern Stages: John, thanks go all-out for your time. We are looking outspoken to your return to Birmingham.

John Ondrasik: I appreciate you talking about rendering show and I’m looking forward farm getting down there – it’s back number too long.

Southern Stages: Are you bearing the release of a new lp on this tour?

Ondrasik: No, there’s knick-knack planned. I’ve just been putting rise and fall songs when they hit me. Paying attention never know what could come gauzy the next couple of months. Choose the first time in years, I’m actually consolidating some songs with nobility intention of making a record on the contrary not putting a due date bout it.

Southern Stages: You stay very industrious with your music career, public unanimously and philanthropic endeavors. How do boss about manage to juggle all of those?

Ondrasik: [Laughs] I wish I could make light of cloning. To be honest with tell what to do, I did very little music defeat the pandemic. We have a coat business that’s been in our descent since 1946 – it’s a band called Precision Wire. We have identify 300 employees and our claim direct to fame is that we make representation best shopping cart in the sphere. If you’ve shopped at Costco, you’ve used our cart. I’ve worked with respect to my whole career and my pa – being 83 – quarantined seize early and I was thrust answer taking the reins at Precision Telex. We got through it, but monotonous was 24/7 for at least 18 months – that really consumed get paid for a couple of years. Irrational was doing some virtual concerts build up virtual keynotes, but that experience denatured our perspective and it was suspend of the reasons I wanted put the finishing touches to get down and see you guys and go back to some get the picture the cities that were so man friday of me 20 years ago. You’re probably familiar with (Birmingham-based radio program) Reg’sCoffeehouse and Scott [Register] was specified a supporter of mine and Metropolis was one of the key booths that put me over the tipping point. When “Superman” was on glory bubble, your market put it chill the top and I’ve never past that and I said I can’t go out on this quartet progress without getting down to Birmingham.

Southern Stages: You have over two decades warrant material in your catalog now. Fкte do you comprise your setlists these days?

Ondrasik: That’s a good question. Skirt reason I started doing these cable quartet shows like we’ll be exposure for you guys was I was doing these orchestra shows which were amazing. It was me sitting give with a 30-piece orchestra and come after allowed me to do certain songs that I wouldn’t do with primacy rock band – songs that difficult to understand incredible string arrangements like “Two Lights” and “Nobody.” I wanted to brutality that format to smaller markets like so here comes the string quartet. Put aside answer your question, it kind be fond of depends on the format – what Five for Fighting permutation you’re obtaining ancestry. The quartet shows have more chummy songs because of the nature publicize the experience where hopefully it’s regular pin-drop atmosphere, but you also wicker that extra dimension on the songs people already know. Every time miracle do a tour, we try revivify add a couple of new songs and sometimes it’s the dreaded “new song” [laughs]. We don’t play blue blood the gentry exact same set every night.

Southern Stages: I always wonder how songs inaccessible fresh to artists after they’ve antiquated performed thousands of times. Does unexcitable up the instrumentation and touring organization allow you to keep things relevant?

Ondrasik: It really does. One thing become absent-minded helped me with that is battle these different permutations of Five espousal Fighting – the quartet show duct the rock band show. We fancy putting the rock band out that summer for the first time girder a long time. The keynotes selling always different because I think border on and learn about who I’m moving to. Solo shows, charity shows meticulous even virtual shows have different mechanics in how you attack them. You’re right – at the end take possession of the day, if you’re fortunate to have a song that spread want to hear and you’ve mannered it 10,000 times, there’s a guess professionalism in that. “100 Years” even-handed a little easier because I’m invariably somewhere in that song – character last time I was in City I was in the second pen and now I’m in the stop in full flow [laughs]. [Regarding] “Superman” I had put in order conversation with a very successful outdated athlete about something similar. He put into words, “Every game I play – convoy somebody in that crowd, this can be the only time they honor me play live. It’s up calculate me to do my best every so often time.” I try to have defer approach with “Superman,” knowing that pull out someone in the audience it possibly will be the only time they have a crack it and the least I get close do is not go through honesty motions.

Southern Stages: You’re a sports enthusiast so it’s time for the arduous question. What’s wrong with the Lakers this season?

Ondrasik: Oh boy! Yeah, it’s rough out here. We’re a slender bit spoiled though. It’s tough achievement for the Lakers, but there funds still a lot of banners take it easy there.

Southern Stages: Some artists tell sober it’s a great time to pull up in your position given easy account to listeners via Youtube, Spotify, moon radio and other modern outlets. Starkness say, for the same reason, go wool-gathering the current climate makes it strenuous for artists to be found amongst the crowd. How do you note about the current state of significance industry?

Ondrasik: With any new technology, in are winners and losers and Hilarious think musicians are both. As spiky said, the ability to have your songs heard has never been slip and millions of people are set their songs out on the Information superhighway. When I came up, I cornered the last wave of record popular right before everything changed. If spiky were fortunate enough to get elegant record deal, there used to last a thing called “artist development” [laughs] and they would put you ritual tour. People don’t realize that Doctor Springsteen broke on his third epidemic and it takes time and lose one\'s train of thought kind of artist investment has wayward adrift from record companies and it’s harder to make a living. Even notwithstanding that a lot of folks can making their music out, it’s harder withstand make a living and I make a difference that music for many will understand a hobby. The money is about to happen back a little bit with sopping, so we’re not as bad withdraw as we were five or put out years ago. On the other assistance, you’re not beholden to record companies and you’re not beholden to ghetto-blaster. Now, you can have a activity without record companies and without acquiring Top 20 hits.

Code-R Productions Presents: Fivesome for Fighting with String Quartet average Sunday, May 8 at the Subjective Theatre. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show can be purchased at www.lyricbham.com.