When you grow up like I did in a strict Italian household with curfews, and dress codes for every family occasion the idea of being individualistic can seem blurred. I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who loved me unconditionally, but I was never able to see who I truly was. Hiding behind my unusual taste in everything from foods to boys to style, I was never able to allow my true self show with a comfortable surroundings. After experiencing one of the lowest points in my life where everything was seemingly grey and nothing was going where I had anticipated, I realized that maybe one of my differences would make me find who I truly am so I started with what I knew the most, music. After endless recommendations and Spotify playlists, I was told to listen to a song by one of my closest friend. Little did I know, this song and now band would stick with me through everything.

At the time I wasn’t too interested in any heavy metal music, but I decided to give the song a chance. After typing the seemingly morbid title “RIP Bon” in my YouTube search bar, the official song was my first result. Although hesitant, I clicked on the link and let the lead guitar take my mind away from all the negative things I had been experiencing. After closely listening to the lyrics the song had easily brought me to tears, and I decided to give the band a chance. Searching “The Amity Affliction” into my Spotify account was the smartest decision of my life. Cycling back to their debut album titled “Severed Ties” released in 2008 I instantly fell in love with their sound. I continued to explore through their music and was hooked. The messages in their songs, resonated with my heart and felt as if they were dedicated just to me. As the band grew older, their music has changed drastically, but in all the right ways. By hitting sensitive topics such as mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, general loneliness, suicide, and missing loved ones, they were able to pull my heart strings with every song in some way.

The Amity Affliction has been the reason I am okay with who I am since I first discovered them. They are able to reach out to each one of their fans in some way, love giving back to them and there is no other group that I would ever love more to call my favorite. Joel Birch, Ahren Stringer, Dan Brown and Ryan Burt have been able to shape my life to a point where I am comfortable being myself around others and realize that I have nothing to hide because we all go through dark points in our lives. They have taught me to love myself for who I am and to never be ashamed of that, and I have never been more grateful for a band and all they stand for and I will never forget the lessons they have taught me.