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Frankie DeRosa needed to heal, but he didn\u2019t realize it until he saw children of Mexican immigrants locked in cages. \u201cSeeing that came with a sense of responsibility to have my voice be heard,\u201d he says. He made a vow to finally finish Anthropocene<\/em>, his debut full-length as ThebandIvory<\/a>, alongside collaborator and real life partner Robbie Simmons. It\u2019s been five years in the making and follows the duo\u2019s 2015 EP, The Beast<\/a><\/em>, and despite a winding road to get to this moment, they’ve more than earned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe needed five years to grow into the album. There\u2019s so much to be said, and especially with the way the world is right now, it took battling our own mental health and what it takes for healthy relationships,\u201d DeRosa tells Audiofemme. \u201cThis year has definitely made me reflect on my place as a person of color [who is] gender non-comformig and queer. I take up a lot of space, and definitely these days, it\u2019s harder to feel safe to be yourself. In making this album, I thought it was really important to address that fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthropocene<\/em> cracks open with gentle, soothing waves on the first track, \u201cI\u2019ve Come to Realize.\u201d It\u2019s an ethereal musical centerpiece, priming the body for a powerful expedition into pain, regret, uncertainty, angst, and the current political climate. Lead offering \u201cAfter It\u2019s Said and Done\u201d vents frustrations over taking so long to make the record, blending musicality from a piccolo-laced tribal dance into a somber, soul-crying crescendo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou see your peers touring, and you compare yourself a lot when it comes to socials. I was trying to reignite the fire inside of me. Writing this song was a way to remind myself that when anxiety or depression seems to take over that it\u2019ll pass, and there\u2019s something on the other side,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n