I found punk when I was about 14, mostly because the kids I thought were the coolest were into it. There was a truth to everything. But I didn’t really feel it until I was 17, when my friend’s band started up.

That was the first time I felt forgiven. I always thought I was a certain type of guy and I just lived a certain way. And then the message came through: “These kids are just like you. They’ll look past anything.” And they did.

That was the place I knew I belonged - if you’re open to us, we’re open to you. Just be sincere.

And the deeper I got into it, I realized it wasn’t just music. It was a real brotherhood. But there’s an ideology behind it.

You learn what actually matters. You learn what real enemies are. And you learn there’s really only one code that holds anywhere:

Loyalty.

Not talk. Not saying you’ve got someone’s back.
If the call comes in, you show up.
That’s it.

You can’t do that for everybody. So whose back do you actually have?

That’s what this is built on.

Not perfect people. Not clean versions of anything.

Just be sincere, know your people and show up.