"Interior Live Oak" draws on Cass' two decades of experimentation and sets a clear and distinct tone. His attitude is consistently hopeful, which may sound strange for someone who often sings about the more extreme aspects of modern life. "Interior Live Oak," on the other hand, reflects the determination of someone who has experienced those extremes himself.

Named after a species of tree native to Northern California, the album finds McCombs incorporating the sparser song structures of his original material with the help of some of his earliest musical collaborators, including Jason Quever (Papercuts) and Chris Cohen. McCombs recorded much of the new material in the Bay Area, not far from where they had put down their musical roots (as documented on last year's archival release "Seed Cake On Leap Year"). Further recording in New York City brought contributions from other longtime collaborators like Matt Sweeney and Mike Bones.