John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting. Photo Credit: Jeremy Cowart
John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting chatted about his single “Can One Man Save The World.”
Ondrasik wrote this song to honor the courage of President Vladimir Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine.
‘Can One Man Save the World’ music video
Ondrasik’s passion for supporting humanitarian efforts and freedom has been a longstanding commitment for him. He had traveled to Kiev to film the music video for “Can One Man Save the World,” where he performed with a Ukrainian Orchestra in front of the An-225 Mriya, the one-of-a-kind and the world’s largest cargo plane, which was destroyed by a Russian attack last year.
“It was wild to even get over there just to be able to film in that blown up airport in front of the Mriya,” he admitted. “I hope this song raises awareness on what is going on in Ukraine. We have to stand up and speak up for what is right.”
“It was very humbling to do that with an incredible Orchestra, where every member of that Orchestra had lost a loved one or had somebody on the frontlines, or had somebody missing. I saw the atrocities firsthand but also the fortitude of the Ukrainian people, so it was quite inspirational,” Ondrasik said.
Los Angeles performance with Antytila
Most recently, Ondrasik made a surprise appearance at The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, California, on October 15, 2023, during Ukrainian rock band Antytila’s show to perform “Can One Man Save The World.” “That was great,” he exclaimed. “Antytila, the band I performed with, is huge in Ukraine. They normally play stadiums and they were on a U.S. tour. They were playing a rock club here in LA and they asked me to come up and sing with them.”
“Again, this was very moving because of the band members had just served nine months in the Ukrainian Army, where they were fighting for the freedom of their country,” he said.
“To be able to stand with them, sing with them and support them was great. Their music is a big part of this culture war against these evil actors on the world stage,” he added.
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “Just like with anything, there are positives and negatives to it. I miss the album era because I’ve always found it special, especially having 11 songs on a record.”
“We don’t have albums anymore, we have singles, so the loss of the album has been a little disappointing for the arts,” he said.”
“On the other hand, I can write a song now, put it on the Internet and have millions of views and impressions and not have one spin on the radio, and that’s a huge freedom for artists now. These days, you don’t need a huge record company to break into the industry,” he elaborated.
“The digital age has leveled the playing field, and it has allowed people to control their own destiny a little bit more,” he added. “The resurgence of vinyl is also cool, nostalgic, and fun.”
AI on the future of the music industry
He shared his thoughts on AI on the future of the music business. “I’ve heard some AI-generated songs and I think that it is a threat. We’ve already seen it in Hollywood with the current strike,” he said.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said with a sweet laugh, “Almost 60.” “Right now, I am in the bridge of my ‘100 Years’ song,” he admitted.
The Paramount
In August of 2022, Five For Fighting performed at The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island. “That was awesome,” he exclaimed.
“I loved it, it was amazing. It is such a great room and venue, and I wish we could play there all the time. It is the perfect rock clue and it’s very intimate, where it can get loud but you can also hear a pin drop. Everything there is so great, and I hope we can be back at The Paramount next year,” he elaborated.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Ondrasik said, “Success is certainly different for me than what it was. My motivation to write now is not trying to write a hit or doing something commercial. It’s more about writing things that I feel need to be said. I think it is important for artists to express themselves.”
“Can One Man Save the World” is available on Spotify by clicking here.
For more information on Five For Fighting and the new music, visit the official website.