About Five For Fighting:
The only way for a story to progress is to turn the page.
John Ondrasik— the songwriter and performer known as the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, Five For Fighting—knows this well. In the two decades since his first major single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” hit the stratosphere, the artist has both evolved and come back ‘round full circle. Creativity, if nothing else, is paradoxical.
To date, Five For Fighting, has released six studio LPs, including the platinum certified America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the top-10 charting Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World,” and “Easy Tonight,” which have earned over one billion streams and place him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s. The reflective “100 Years” has joined “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” as part of the American Songbook and continues to stand the test of time at weddings, birthdays, graduations, memorials, and many a home video. Five For Fighting’s music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the Oscar-winning The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black.
Today, Ondrasik spends his time writing music, touring, working at the family business, supporting various charities, and enjoying life with his wife, two children, and dog Ender.
Through “What Kind of World Do You Want,” Ondrasik’s charity driven website – WhatKindofWorldDoYouWant.com – he has raised funds for Afghan evacuation organizations, refugees and Augie’s Quest to cure ALS. He continues to support Save Our Allies and the Ukrainian people through “Can One Man Save the World”, multiple charities fighting antisemitism globally, and looks forward to returning to Ukraine and Israel in the near future.
What motivates him musically now?
His latest three songs tell the story. He wants to promote dialogue. He’s set to speak his mind, with words, melody, and conviction. Ondrasik doesn’t shy away from nuance. He embraces it and seeks it – just as he does the next chorus, the next verse, all the while searching for a bridge.
It’s what artists and freethinkers do, after all.
It’s his gift to share.
His decided obligation, too.
About Vertical Horizon:
Vertical Horizon stands for a commitment to superior music. It’s a concept that has always meant a steadfast striving for the artistically-creative high road. Consistently at the wheel, founder, writer, lead singer and guitarist, Matt Scannell drives and unites the group, always exploring new territories of inspiration. Perhaps the most significant key to Vertical Horizon’s success today is the freedom they have from the constraints of a major recording label. Scannell says, "Our music is coming from the purest place - there are no other considerations beyond 'Do we like this? Does it mean something us?'" Vertical Horizon works at a tempo that fuels the creative process. It’s no wonder why so many performers cite them as influences.
Founded in the early 1990s as a duo, Vertical Horizon released three albums independently (There and Back Again, Running on Ice, and Live Stages) and toured extensively. In 1999, Vertical Horizon signed with RCA and experienced meteoric success with Everything You Want, selling over two million copies. The title song captured the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Adult Top 40 charts, and went on to become the most played single of 2000. Having carved out a page in the annals of music history, the band also garnered further radio attention with “You’re a God” (#4 on Billboard’s Adult Chart) and “Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning),” which became a 2005 top 20 country hit for country star, Gary Allan.
Vertical Horizon is what it always has been: a vibrant, growing musical entity. It’s not a reissue: it’s bigger, better, and reloaded. The band’s “wheel of change” continues to turn. Hold on to the wheel, and you’ll be dragged. Instead, let it roll—and enjoy the ride.
