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John Ondrasik - Five For Fighting · Caught on the Mike...

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Disclaimer, the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: Listener discretion is advised.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: From timeless gongs like Superman, it's not easy, and 100 years to heartfelt anthems that have carried us through some of the most defining moments of the last two decades.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: John Androstic, better known as Five for Fighting, has built a career on music that moves people.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: Beyond the hit, John continues to use his voice for something greater, bringing light to humanitarian causes and global stories that matter.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Today we're diving in the heart of those songs, the stories behind them, and the man who's been giving us soundtracks for reflection and resilience.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: This is my conversation with John Androstic of Fife for Fighting.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mike.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Caught on the Mike.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: I am so excited for this one in particular.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: You will recognize my next guest from songs like Superman, It's Not Easy, and 100 Years.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: I am very excited to welcome my new friend John Androsic from, or otherwise known as professionally, Five for Fighting.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: How are you doing, man?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Mike, great to be with you.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh man, I have been so excited to get this all set up.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: You're your uh press agent, your PR, your publicist, and I have been trading like emails for I think a couple of months now trying to make this happen.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm I'm really excited to talk about the string quartet tour.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, that's coming up here in a few weeks in the middle of October.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: Where the heck is 2025 gone already?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy, dude.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know how we got here.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: But we're here.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we made it.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get right into it.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: You've been performing as Fife for Fighting for over two decades now.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Take us back to the early days and what did the journey look like from writing songs in Los Angeles to breaking through with America Town?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I uh I had a mom who was a piano teacher, so she started me at the piano very young and uh kind of gave me the fundamentals of of the piano, and she taught uh musicals at our local elementary school, and I was Tony in Westside's story, probably because I was mom's little boy.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: And uh she was also very wise.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: When I was around 12, 13, I didn't want to practice anymore.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: She let me kind of quit because I wanted to skateboard, chase girls, play basketball, and I just started writing songs because I loved it and it was a passion, and it's been my passion my whole life.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um at 17, I found Steve Perry's voice teacher and started studying voice.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: And um it's interesting, after after college, I actually met uh Scott Sheets, who was uh the uh guitar player for Pat Benatar's band.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: He wrote uh Fire Nice, and I suddenly found myself joining a band with all the ex-members of Pat Benatar.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: They were all 40.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: I was 22, but but we were writing songs and and uh I also became very good friends with um rock, you know, rock fans will know the icon, Rudy Sarzo, a bass player for for Aussie, Quiet Riot.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: And when I met when I met Rudy, he was in Whitesnake, kind of at the top of Whitesnake, and he kind of took me under his wing and kind of mentored me, and he would take me to like you know the Whitesnake concerts, and he he was such a a good mentor because he'd say, You can go in that room, but you can't go in that room.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he took good care of me.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so I had, you know, and so we were doing this kind of Bon Jovi rock, and it was really fun and cool.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: And then this little band called Nirvana came out, and that all went away overnight.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I went back to the piano and I started writing, you know, songs that really kind of I think fit my influences, certainly Billy Joel, Elton, of course, the piano players, Joni Mitchell, the you know, Queen, all that stuff.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I grinded, you know, for 10 years and struggled and and finally broke through with a a little record company called Theware Records that was kind of breaking new bands before they, you know, happened.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: They had Hootie before you know they became Hootie.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: They had Rob Thomas, you know, Train, and um made a record on Columbia Records.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they didn't even know it was on the label.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Because uh we made the American Town Record and um the first single, Easy Tonight, did well.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: It was a number one, you know, um triple A hit, you know, songwriter radio, but it really did sell records, but it allowed us to get to one more song.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that song was Superman.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And again, in the in two 2000, the radio radio did not want to play Superman.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: It was Lil'Affair, boy bands, grunge, it wasn't 1978, but um this the song kind of started to catch on, and then as it became one of the songs to recognize the heroes of 9-11, and and you know, then I realized my career uh and dream of of doing this.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: So it was a lot of stars aligning and a lot of hard work, and to this day, I I I just pinch myself that you know we're still doing it.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: And the songs, you know, 100 years is you know, it's still as kind of active in the culture as it was when it came out.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm very fortunate.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, yes.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: I you know, I think back to the 90s and it was almost like three different decades jammed into one, wasn't it, culturally?
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: Especially on the on the music side of things.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: There was so much going on and there were so many different offshoots.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna ask you specifically who some of your earlier influences were and what you kind of gleaned from some of them.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I had the Beatles songbook on my piano bench, you know, it was like a phone book, you know, the Black Beatle book.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I also also, you know, I I was kind of into the musical theater as a young, you know, young kid.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I remember playing Godspell um over and over again.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Bert Baccherak.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I actually ended up writing some songs with Steven Schwartz, you know, the great iconic, you know, musical writer of Godspell and Pippin and Wicked.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I was kind of in that range.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, as I got older, I kind of fell in love with classic rock, as I mentioned, all you know, Queen, Peter Frampton, you know, Frampton Comes Alive, Purple Rain.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the first record I ever bought was Stevie Wonder's songs in the Key of Life.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yes.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I I had a great love for RB and um and songwriters.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: I just all the different genres, you know, I loved.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, we mentioned Joni Mitchell, like the great, you know, great writers.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: And and then as I, you know, kind of got older, I, you know, I I I I really liked, you know, U2 and what they were doing.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: And and um, so for me though, it's still it's still the songwriters of the 70s, right?
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: To me, that's still the golden age.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: There's a reason you still hear it all the time, whether it's rock or songwriters or pop.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so those were kind of my you know formation and you know, songs that had a beginning and and a middle and an end that had a point of view, that had a sentiment attached to them.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I think it's no coincidence that my songs kind of reflect that era.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: I I agree, I agree.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: I actually I was listening to a lot of your discography on a I had to do an hour-long drive today, and so I just listened to a mix of your music, and I I really thought about that a lot.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, this is something that harkens back to the time when there was a lot more natural songwriting.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think something that'll warm your heart, just kind of speaking from one dad to another.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: I have a 19-year-old daughter, and she is obsessed with music of that era, the 1970s.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: She her favorite band is Fleetwood Mac, her favorite singer is Stevie Nicks.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like that that gives us hope for future generations for sure.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: My daughter, uh Olivia, is 23.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: She actually opens for us on this quartet tour.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: She's a great swinger, singer-songwriter with her folk duo Layson Lee.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, we talk about like what are the greatest bands of all time?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And my son as well.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: We had this conversation the other day.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, of course, it's Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, um, and then of course, for my son, it's ACDC, Led Zeppelin, The Who, you know, and I just, you know, Queen, of course, they can sing all the Queen songs.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he was talking to me about Jethro Tall the other day.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, you know, to him, like, to him, like SoundGarden's like an older band, right?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's like he goes so far back.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: But no, I love that the kids, you know, still embrace that music.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Part of it's through video games, because you know, you still hear it in video games.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: But um, yeah, for me, um, the fact that, you know, my my daughter can talk as much about print songs as Taylor Swift's songs is is is something that I love.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: And it just goes to show you that you know, those songs had a certain resonance and quality.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I talk about this, if you think about it back in the day in the 70s, the competition between these artists.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like, so Paul McCartney, here's his song, here's Queen's song, here's James Taylor's song, here's Billy Joel's song, here's Joni Mitchell's song.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Elite, elite mastercraft songwriters going against each other.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that also honed their skills because there were no there were no you know B plus songs that that survived because you were going against the Titans, right?
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And uh again, I think that's one reason why that that era, you know, still in in my mind, and I think in the culture stands uh kind of unique.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, it's the iron sharpens ironity.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love that.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's let's get into your catalog a little bit.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned Superman, you mentioned 100 years, and you also brought up the um the 9-11 effect, if if if I may be so blunt.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, Superman, it's not easy, really blew up after the events of 9-11, uh, a short span of time when we were a little bit more, at least perceptively, unified.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um what was it like watching your music take on that type of cultural weight?
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you know, I think the phrase no words is overused, but it's very hard to describe.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm you know, Superman, it was very interesting.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Superman was struggling in the States because it was different, you know, it wasn't 1977 and radio wasn't playing piano songs, but it was number one in the Philippines, and it was starting to show around the world that it was having you know signals of being a big song.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then it started to take off um to a point where the record company sent me to to um to Europe to promote it.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And um when I got to Europe, that was September 10th, and of course on September 11th, everything shut down, and I was you know stuck in Europe for 10 days, like many folks, and was like everyone else, calling my friends in New York and shocked and angry and saddened and horrified.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: And and um, I didn't realize till I got back, you know, 10 days later, I remember landing at O'Hare and kissing the tarmac.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: I was so happy to be home.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And and I started, friends were sending me, you know, you know, some of the cable news stations are using Superman in their videos to recognize the heroes of 9-11 and also the families who lost loved ones.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then a couple weeks later, my friend Rick Krim, who ran VH1 at the time, said, Hey, we're putting together this concert for New York.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Paul McCartney's kind of doing this.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Would you be open to play?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Of course, whatever you guys want.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and again, I had just got lit, you know, got used to hearing my song on the radio.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: So again, here's this night where every living uh icon of mine is on that stage, and you know, and here I am playing Superman, kind of for 25 million people live.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: And it was um, again, it was surreal, but because it was about the families, about the heroes, there was a different weight to the night.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we all understood that.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I was honored to do it.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Every, you know, we're kind of just coming off 9-11 again in September, and every every year that rolls around when I play that song this time of year, it has that weight.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: And and I still talk to firefighters, you know, um uh from 9-11, and the song still kind of reminds people of that.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I was very humbled that it became one of those songs.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, nobody would want a song to have um a relationship with any horror like that, but it also shows us how music can provide solace in ways nothing else can.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: And you mentioned about coming together.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, music is a way for us to come together in ways no other medium can.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: We listen, it touches our emotions.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: We may not always agree with what someone's saying, but we will listen in a way we won't kind of in any other medium.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: So it taught me a lot.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: It taught me a lot about music.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: I remember when the Who came out and they blew the roof off Madison Square Garden, and most of those people uh there that night had been down at ground zero, digging through rubble, the unimaginable, and to see them crying and singing and hugging each other, the release they had was so cathartic.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I I literally sat side stage watching that, and I'm like, okay, that's why we do it.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, hits are great, you know, charts, sales, fame, fortune.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: But every once in a while we're reminded why music truly matters.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that really framed the rest of my career, and frankly, a lot of things I do now uh from that one night.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, yes.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's crazy, you know.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: At the jump, we talked about how it feels like 2025 has already flown by, but if you go a layer deeper, it's crazy to believe that one year from now will be the 25th anniversary of 9-11.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: And it's such a, you know, it for a lot of people that weren't alive and didn't witness the Kennedy incident firsthand, this is uh our generation's and a little bit older's generation's version of the Kennedy assassination.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's everybody remembers where they were when 9-11 occurred and those few days afterwards and the discomfort but unity that was happening at the same time.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I actually wrote a song, two songs actually about my experience.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: One was called New York City Weather Report, which was about how the country came together in ways, you know, I'd never seen before and frankly haven't seen since.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: And also a song called Tuesday.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh 9-11 occurred on a Tuesday, and it's about not forgetting the lessons of 9-11.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it's interesting that that song has kind of had a resurgent in the last couple years because, you know, a lot of people, you know, have feelings about have we forgotten the lessons of 9-11?
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and again, that's kind of what music's about too, is to kind of you know capture ideas and and and listening to songs.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, so many people listen to 100 years now when they're older, and it resonates in a different way than it did when they were 20, 25, 30, you know, but that's again, that's the beauty of music, and it's the same for me.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, dude, you just hit it.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: You just hit something I was gonna point out specifically, um, you know, as we're getting older and coming to terms with our own mortality, kind of how 100 years has a similar internal inflection point when you listen to it now versus when it came out 24 years ago.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, there's a line in the bridge, you know, half time goes by, so you're over 50, and then suddenly you're wise, right?
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I like to think that we are now uh in the wise verse.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: We have some experience, we've made some mistakes, we've learned from our mistakes, but I do think you know, we have a little more um humility, a little more gratitude and appreciation and wisdom and life under our, you know, under our skis um than when I wrote it, you know, I was in my you know early 30s, kind of young kids, which which again is a wonderful part of life.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, you know, now that you we're empty nesters and the kids are older and they're living their lives and we're kind of watching our, you know, watching them experience things, uh, you know, I I still love playing that song.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: I never get tired of it.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: And one day I'll be in the vamp, and you know, one day I'll be kind of doo-doo-doo do bye-bye, you know.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: But that's that's to me why um I think that song, you know, we're all in there somewhere, right?
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, absolutely.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: So now that you're on tour again, this time with a string quartet and world-class musicians from both Broadway and beyond, what inspired you to reinterpret your catalog in this way?
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: And how has it changed how you experienced your own songs?
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, about 15 years ago, I was asked to start doing symphony shows.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: And it was so exhilarating, you know, to play my songs with a 32-piece symphony behind me.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: And it also allowed me to pull songs out of my catalog that I wouldn't necessarily do with the rock band.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I've been fortunate to work with incredible, super genius composers throughout my career.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: And those songs, again, without the string sections, you know, they're they were kind of hollow.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't really work with the rock band.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: But when you played them with the orchestra, everything came alive and it was so fantastic, and and audience really seemed to appreciate it, as well as adding a dynamic to the hits.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so we wanted to take that to smaller venues, smaller markets.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: So we reduced the arrangement to string quartet.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: And now we've been doing it, you know, 12, 13 years.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: We typically do string quartet in the spring and the fall, and then we do the rock band during the summer.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I get the best of all worlds.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: And and um, and so and they're very intimate shows.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the musicians, again, as you mentioned, they're all elite Broadway players.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: My MD Katie won a Tony Award for Moulin Rouge.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so just watching them every night is like for me just a treat.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: But again, I think it's something that that audiences, you know, can really enjoy.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: And and and also halfway through the show, I just leave the stage and let them jam out, which to me is my favorite part of the stage.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: So there's something for everybody there.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I love playing with the rock band, I love playing with the quartet, it keeps everything fresh, but there's a certain intimacy that allows, you know, some storytelling, interaction with the audience, you know, that the big band shows during the summer just can't do, right?
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, um, so yeah, we're thrilled.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: And we got the A-Team coming this year, and with Olivia Laconly opening for us, it's uh again, it's it's one big family party, and uh and uh we can't wait to hit it off.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: There was a there was a blink in your miss it comment that you made there where you're talking about how you do the rock band thing in the spring and the summer and then switch gears to the string quartet during the fall.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_01: I gotta ask, because I know how I am, but do your personal music tastes have a sense of seasonality to them?
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's interesting.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, certainly when we when you know when December rolls around, it's the Charlie Brown Christmas album with Vince Giraldi, right?
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's just a no-brainer.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: That's the the first time the leaves drop, man.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: I start with the Halloween album.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, certainly, you know, certainly that.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, in summer too, you know, you know, during the summer it's it tends to be more the classic rock phone songs.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, for me, they do.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, certainly with our touring, it reflects that because our summer shows are, you know, they're a little more up upbeat, a little kind of fun, sing along.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: We, you know, we have a couple poignant moments, but you know, we we really understand.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of we're out, you know, the sun's out, every playing frisbee, the kids are there, the dogs are running around, you know.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: But then during the kind of the fall and winter, we get a little more reflective.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we talk about some things that you you know that are maybe a little heavier, and we don't uh things that we wouldn't necessarily talk about with the rock band.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think I think that's good, you know.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think it kind of keeps things fresh, and and um, I think audiences appreciate that.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: And and um, you know, for us, it's uh it's kind of been what we've been doing now for a while, and I think it works well.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: So considering that and you know, some of the things that we've pre previously discussed here, what's your relationship with nostalgia like?
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm a very nostalgic guy, you know.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, yeah, again, I my my playlist is all the bands we've talked about, right?
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um music for me, you know, um, and and similar, you know, I'm a huge sports fan, right?
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: So to me, it's about sports and music, and and uh I I love the history of sports.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: I um I used to write for Sports Illustrated.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I you know for me, um, especially you know, being six years old and and going through decades and decades of my sports teams and and again a very unique medium that brings us together.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm a very nostalgic guy, you know, with my family, maybe too nostalgic, you know, um, because we are, you know, we have a life to lead and we have things to do, and I still believe my best song is yet to be written.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: But um, I do like, you know, I do kind of like to go back in time and look at memories and especially when you know when the kids are you an empty nester yet, Mike?
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: We're just now getting there.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: So so I gotta tell you, the the the good the craziest thing, and I I don't want to kind of deride this off course too much, but we had three graduate at the same time this year.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_01: So we're a blended.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Family.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I've got two kids from my first marriage, and then I've got twin stepdaughters.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: So all three girls all graduated at the same time.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: So it is it's kind of like being an empty nester now because they all three went in three different directions, and my son's not with us all the time.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: So we we'll have a week where yeah, we're an empty nester and a week where we're not, and that's okay.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's a good transition, yeah.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, when you become empty nesters, you know, you kind of you're used to having the kids, and there's there's a nice thing about it, but you're also kind of a longing of boy, life has changed and and they're up doing their things.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I have a song called I Just Love You, that basically my daughter Olivia kind of gave me the lyrics when she was four years old, and now she comes out and sings it with me during the tour.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it's hard for me to even get through it without choking up, you know.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: So so I think, and that's a beautiful thing.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: We should be nostalgic, you know?
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we should be.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: There's you know, and when we hear songs that bring us back and and make us cry or make us laugh and bring us back to memories, good, bad, or ugly, it's like it's a beautiful thing.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: That's what music's all about.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and again, I think for me, um I think my songs kind of reflect a certain nostalgia in them, you know.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: I agree, I agree, and that's part of the reason why I asked that question.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, considering that your daughter is now kind of pursuing her own path in music, was there a specific moment in her upbringing or in recent years where it just clicked and you're like, oh my gosh, like where she just completely overwhelmed you with her talent.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, she's uh she's a tough worker.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: She was she went to NYU, did the musical theater thing.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: So she was really kind of you know focusing on acting, but she would when I was, you know, when I was kind of touring a lot, uh, every once in a while, I think she was eight years old.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing I kind of knew like who this kid is, she was eight years old.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: And we we were doing, I don't know, show in Hawaii for maybe a thousand people, and she had learned the song Jolene.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're like, why don't you come out and sing Jolene with us?
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: And she's like, okay.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, she's gonna walk out there, see these people, you know, go run away, not want to do it.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: She walked out there, grabbed the mic, and sang Jolene and danced around and engaged with the audience, like she brought the house down.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: She got a standing ovation, and I'm like, oh my God, what have we created?
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, you're like, who is this?
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: Who is this human being?
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: So she's she's always had the it, you know, the the the comfort being in front of people.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and yeah, she's you know, she's becoming a really good songwriter and learning.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, the arts, there's no guarantee of anything, right?
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: But but she's very humble and grateful and and joyful and enjoying the process and also has all the insecurities that we have as as artists, right?
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: So um all you can do is support them, and and she makes good choices, and just like my parents supported me, you know, I I wouldn't be here without my parents' support.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: So as long as she's a good kid, works hard, you know, we're happy to support her.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: And her brother, you know, is very passionate about working for the family business.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: So it's the same for him, you know, let the kids find their passion, support them, and and um and you know, we'll see what happens with her, but it's certainly fun to watch.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: And whatever she does, she'll have music the the rest of her life.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's the beautiful thing, you know.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yes for all of us, you know, whether you make a living or not, to have it in your life.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's so important for your wellness, whether you're playing, singing, listening, dancing, all of that.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think that leads to a really good story, too.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like that family experience, being able to take her out on this run of shows and open up the show for you.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, the more audiences learn about that backstory, I think the more endeared to the whole scenario that they're going to be.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, I give her credit.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: She never tells people she's my daughter.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, she wants to be for her, and um, she wants to earn it, and and they always bring the house down, but then halfway through my show, she'll come out and sing I Just Love You, and every there'll be the oh my god moment.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and you're right, I think there's there's a few tears, you know, in the audience, maybe with me.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, it's just a beautiful time that we have this window, we can do this, and and she brought, you know, her and Caroline, you know, her her uh her partner in crime there, they um, you know, they just have that that youth and excitement and energy that makes us all buoyant and excited, even if we're on a 10-hour drive from you know from Bend, Oregon to you know to Seattle.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: So let's go going back to your work.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: Your work's also been featured in more than 350 films, shows, and commercials from the blind side to the sopranos.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have a favorite placement where you thought, wow, my song really belongs here?
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the blind side story is interesting with chances because chances was tempted into another film at the time, um, kind of one of the big kind of action blockbusters that you you you know you uh you're so thrilled to have because it's gonna do half billion dollars of business, everyone's gonna hear your song.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: And uh the blind side folks sent me uh a little note saying we'd like to use chances in our movie.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, well, you know, it's in this, it's in this movie already.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: And they said, We know, but can we send you the script and and and let you know what it's about?
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I I read it and I'm like, oh no, it's like it's everything I love.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's sports, it's family.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um so um I I called them and I'm like, all right, you know, tell me about your marketing plan, you know, what's the plan?
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: They said, Well, there's a big star in it, but you know, we don't have much of a budget.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: Probably not many people are gonna see it.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, no, don't tell me that.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're Hollywood, just lie to me, just make something up.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and so eventually I ended up pulling it, you know, from that big blockbuster, putting it in the blind side.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, I'm glad I did.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it became the biggest sports movie in history, better than Rocky.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: And and I did, I just felt I didn't write the song for the blind side, but it fit exactly that theme.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I I it's it's almost like I could have written it for the blind side.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: So that that one for me is is great again, because again, we still see that movie around Thanksgiving, Channel 13, you know, we'll come back around and and here's chances.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so I it's another example of something that I think really caught the zeitgeist of the culture and has stood the test of time.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: And but there's been a ton, you know, a ton of uses that I'm just love.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: And when you have the right song with the right imagery, it is you know exponential.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's just magic.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: And and I love when that happens.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: I love the way that you tether your art to things that truly matter to you personally.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you know, a lot of people do that without sincerity, and and I can tell you're very sincere about that.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: And a good demonstration of that is the fact that you've also tied your platform to humanitarian and educational projects like Music Matters Challenge, Feed the Children.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_01: Why is it important to you to use music as a vehicle for change?
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think if you're fortunate to have songs that people know, um, they're a great, great way to do two things raise funds for platforms that are doing great work, um, but also kind of shine the light on causes that get lost, I think, in the noise.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the most recent one is I did a new version of Superman for the Hostages.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: Uh in a you know, uh a young man, Alone OL, his mother reached out to me, who's been a hostage for over 720 days.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: He's a piano player.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: There's a piano in Hostage Square in Israel that is his piano.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's the yellow piano.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: That when I went over there to perform for the hostage families, I played his piano.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I think, you know, for me, these songs um have a way of shining the light on certain aspects of culture.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: I went to Ukraine and did a song with Ukrainian Orchestra again to kind of you know shine the light on the fortitude of the Ukrainian people.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, wrote a song about Afghanistan, you know, go down the list.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I think music, again, has a unique way of shining the light on things.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: And also in these times where we're so divided, giving people a chance to listen and hear the other side without the visceral reaction, the tribal reaction.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we may not agree, um, but I, you know, I've I've gotten many emails from people who've seen the Superman video with Alone, and they may, you know, have a very different kind of view of what's going on over there, but they listen to that and they see the humanity in that boy and his mother.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine being in that position.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we both have kids that age.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: When I was in Israel meeting with the hostage families, my son Johnny was with me, 24 years old, and many of the hostage families had children his age.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, I could be sitting right there.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: So it it gives a humanity situations, and um, it also again for me, it it um it allows me to support people who are doing great works that many folks probably are not aware of.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you're actually living your core values as opposed to just talking about them, and I really wish more people would do that.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_01: Because I I think the world would be a whole lot less divided if we just lived out the core values that we talk about.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: You've been able to sustain a career across multiple decades, which is rare in this industry.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: What's been your secret to staying relevant and continuing to connect with new audiences?
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I think it's things that apply in all aspects of our life and all businesses.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: Uh certainly relationships with people in the business, you know, when if you're fortunate enough to have, you know, a couple hit songs that you can easily kind of swallow the success and build this ego and look at me.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: And but you know, the relationships of people who helped you get there, you know, radio station, you know, program directors, producers, directors, music industry executives, people outside of music.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think relationships is one.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and being grateful, you know, for what I do have.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, work ethic, you know, you you do a lot of grinding, right?
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: You know, 10, you know, 10% of success is talent.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: The rest is grinding, work ethic, um, doing shows, you know, doing promotion, um, but also, you know, finding that balance within your life, things outside of music, you know, um, and and understanding that uh, you know, the most important things are outside of music and and your family and your friends and and kind of living living the best life, um, which can be tough when you have these obligations.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think I'm just fortunate too to have a few songs that that people have embraced and and uh so again and and and a lot of it too is just fate, you know, it's just kind of fate and fortune, and sometimes the stars align for a certain moment, and and also I've I've also understood that I've had to adjust my expectations.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um I under you know many of my friends uh who were you know superstars in the 2000s um have really struggled with this new era of streaming, and you're not selling that many records, you're not selling as many tickets, you know, yeah, you're kind of you know, you're kind of having to readjust your expectations.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that can be tough, you know, and it's tough for me.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I got dropped from Columbia Records.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: It was tough, you know, to have to reevaluate and and also start doing things outside of just making records, you know, musicals, television shows, you know, philanthropy, all this other stuff, activism that gives you energy and you don't have to rely on, do I have a hit song?
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so I think a lot of that stuff too, um, and working with incredible people doing incredible things who inspire me every day, right?
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Auggy Nieto for ALS, you know, our troops.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I've gone out and for 20 years with Gary Sinise performing for our troops.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: When you go out and you perform for Gold Star Families and and our troops, that gives you more energy and and joy and purpose than a hit song, you know?
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: So stuff like that as well.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: So with the quartet tour, new projects, and continued advocacy, what excites you the most about this next chapter of Five for Fighting?
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_01: You said you haven't written your best song yet.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, it's kind of like the circle has come back around.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when I was 17, 18, I was just writing songs because I loved it for the sake of it.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't have any deadlines, I didn't have any, you know, box I had to fit into.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm kind of back to that place where I can just write something when I feel it and put it out and not have to worry about a record company or or obligate.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a really wonderful place to be, that kind of freedom of expression.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: So um we certainly, you know, I have some songs in in the box and working on some things.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: There's a couple of things I've done in the past that we may put out.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: And we uh on the last tour, we started doing a version of Desperado.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_00: I just love that song.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe we'll put out you know a fight-for-fighting version of Desperado.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, and um, so it's really just like have fun, work with people that I I like working with, and you know, if we can change the world along the way, so much the better.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I love that.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: That's actually leads right into what my wrap-up question is.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_01: I asked this question of every single guest because I love everybody's answer, it forces them to think about it.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_01: So, John, my new friend, what's your advice for making the world a better place tomorrow than what it is today based on your experiences?
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I think many people feel that their voice is too small.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: And what can I do?
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm not a celebrity, I'm not a I'm not, I'm gonna have a big podcast, I'm I'm not an athlete.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm um so what does my voice matter?
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: But your voice is the most important, whether it's at your PTA meetings or for your children or your vote uh or speaking up against things that you feel are wrong.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, everybody's voice matters, and I think a lot of people don't feel they they do, and they do.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I I see it everywhere I go, um, with every group I'm working with.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, people, this is America, and it's our country, and it's our voice.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_00: So um I would just say, you know, whatever your feeling, your politics, your worldview, um, don't be afraid to stand up for it.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and that alone creates conversation and dialogue and and uh which is the best part of the freedom of this nation.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: So again, we all have our role to play, and uh, in my opinion, we have our issues, but we're still the greatest nation that's ever existed on this planet, and it's up to us to lead the way.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I think uh I think we'll continue to do that.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh, I absolutely love that.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_01: John, why don't you tell my audience where they can see you next or how to find your tour dates?
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh fiveforfighting.com.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: All the tour dates are up there.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_00: We start in uh October 21st, couple dates in Arizona, then we're going up the uh the West Coast, so come find us there, and you'll see Lace and Lee as well.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_00: And Five for Fighting music on Instagram, John Androsic on Twitter.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's hard to spell, but I'm on there.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and and and fight for fighting on Facebook, all the stuff there's there's a lot of content.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_00: You'll be you could go on the website, see the video for a loan, and um you know if you want to support some of that, we appreciate it.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the last thing I'll mention is we do have uh this NGO called Let Music Fill My World, where we provide music teachers for schools who've lost them.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it's it's not part-time, it's three years,$300,000.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: The Music Matters Challenge that you mentioned, Mike, that's a competition for folks to enter and win money and participate in selecting a school with us so people can join and sing Let Music Fill My World or play it.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_00: So check out LetmusicFillmyWorld.com.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's really great.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_00: Our goal is to make sure every school has a music teacher because it's so critical for all of us, especially our young kids.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_01: John Androsik, I have enjoyed this conversation.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: I would love it if you come back on again sometime in the future.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_01: I am glad to know you.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_01: The world's a much better place with you and it, my friend.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it's my pleasure.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: I look forward to coming back.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, please come to a show, be our guest, bring your family, bring the three girls in the sun, and uh, you know, and come back and meet all the all the bandmates, and uh, we'll have a good time.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_01: I would be honored, my friend.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for doing the show.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: You got it.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: Once again, I want to thank my new friend John Androsik, otherwise known as Fi for Fighting, for joining me on the podcast today.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: What a great guy, what a great story, what a humanitarian.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: Learn about some of his humanitarian efforts by following him on Instagram at FiForFighting Music.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_01: He's posting cool stuff that he's doing all the time.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_01: While you're being generous with the Instagram follows or social media follows in general, make sure you're following me at Caught on the Mic.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: Go to my YouTube channel and give me a sub.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_01: We're trying to grow that.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: The more we grow that, the more the show grows.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: You can also visit me www.cotonthemic.com.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_01: I always appreciate the website traffic.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_01: This has been Caught on the Mic with Michael Clark.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Michael Clark.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, thank you.