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The Last Optimist Puts Focus on Mental Health with New EP ‘this moment is gone’

By Kath Galasso on June 13, 2022

Championing a heart-on-the-sleeve subgenre known as ‘Sad Folk’, Singer Songwriter, Poet and Activist The Last Optimist embraces openness and mental health awareness on his new EP “This Moment Is Gone”, out now on streaming platforms. With millions of people across the world struggling with serious mental health challenges, this new release is all the more timely and relevant. The Last Optimist’s ultimate mission is to ‘de-stigmatize mental health, to build community, and to pull behavioral health out of the darkness and into the light.’

About his musical message of resilience, project founded Markus Belanger says “My goal with ‘let go of this breath’ is to build empathetic allies for the millions of people who struggle to stay afloat with their mental health each day. The song begins with the flirtation of a new relationship, which is interrupted by a panic attack, and which turns into a courageous struggle that finally resolves with peaceful resilience. Listener beware, this song evokes the whole ride.”

“We are in a tough moment as more than a quarter of us are facing off with extreme sadness, anxiousness, panic, and all the accompanying struggles that throw us in to cold dark water and crash waves overhead. I perform this music to lift people up, to let them know that they are not alone, and to build empathic allies all around. Every little moment of peace helps. Every little connection makes us more resilient. Every kind word is sunshine on a cheek. Sometimes we rage, sometimes we cry quiet and vulnerable, sometimes we stand bold and courageous, sometimes we love with abandon. Come join us and immerse yourself in both the inky black water and light that comes with the dawn.”

Stream “This Moment Is Gone” on Spotify.

Tracklist:
1. ‘let go of this breath’
2. ‘beneath a towering tree’
3. ‘boy in a well’
4. ‘youngest American ninja warrior’
5. ‘she got carried away’
6. ‘long arc of love’

Websites:
Official Website
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
Youtube Channel

Artist Biography:

Markus Belanger is a musician, artist, social activist, and entrepreneur. Markus is on a specific mission to help people who are struggling with their behavioral health. In his ‘day job’ he runs his own business that helps state governments reform behavioral health delivery systems and he helps Community Mental Health Centers and Hospitals to perform the critical care roles that they provide in their communities. In his ‘night job’ Markus is on a mission to de-stigmatize mental health, to build community, and to pull behavioral health out of the darkness and into the light.

Markus is a lifelong musician crossing the genres of punk/emocore, jazz, and folk music. In high school he got his first big stage break, backing ‘The Four Tops’ and ‘Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons’ on Trombone. In College he backed up Clark Terry on his European and Caribbean Island tours. Markus was part of the Emo Core band ‘Stricken For Catherine’ touring, playing Bass, and releasing 2 albums in the mid 1990s. Markus played drums for the folk band ‘In Search of a Redheaded Fiddler’ with their big break at the Northern Rocky Mountain Folk Festival opening for Sam Bush. Markus launched his new venture with ‘The Last Optimist’ in 2021. He recorded two stripped down albums and is currently touring the ‘This Moment Is Gone’ throughout New England.