Moxyblossom,  the songwriting duo of Evelyn Cormier and Jacob Snider, have released their second single for Dangerbird Records Microdose Series, “Tin Can on a String”. The new single follows previous track “Did You Feel That?”, and is another lush, sonic reverie. 

Composed of little more than a hypnotic piano loop and a bed of frail mellotron flutes, Cormier and Snider’s vocals resound fragile and exposed on the new single. They describe the experience of being unable to recognize an old self after going through the turbulence of a failing relationship. The song’s title is a metaphor for this experience, derived from a car accident Snider was in. After the accident, he made a phone call to tell someone what had happened. The voice on the other end sounded so far away and distant, like time was moving strangely. Their voice sounded like it was coming through a tin can on a string. 

On the single, Snider explains – “Tin Can On A String might be our most intimate song. The melody and piano are like a music box, inviting and strange. The song is about metamorphosis, and the haunting feeling of not being able to recognize yourself. We took inspiration from a car accident Jacob was in, and in the aftermath someone’s voice on the phone sounded incredibly far away, like a tin can on a string. It’s a metaphor that we both resonated with, and built the rest of the song around it.” 

Moxyblossom was born through a series of long-distance FaceTime calls as they worked remotely from their respective homes in New Hampshire and Maine. They honed in on a minimalistic songwriting style, focused on sparse vocals, guitars, and keyboard arrangements. No bombast, no filler. Just the core idea, straight to the heart.

Photo Courtesy: Lily Snider