In 2008 a storm brought a tree down on the Bare family home, with Bobby Bare Jr.'s mother inside. Within a year, and after two broken vertebrae, his mother, and the family home, recovered.

A Storm - A Tree - My Mother's Head was recorded with the help of Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan and Carl Broemel (all of My Morning Jacket). After much rehearsal, the entire album was recorded in two days.