Career
Blending genres such as rock, folk, psychedelic, punk, and alt country, he has played in numerous bands in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest during the 1990s, often in DIY spaces, before relocating to New New York He moved to San Francisco in 2001, where he recorded his debut East.P., entitled, released on Monitor Records in Baltimore. McCombs then recorded a Peel Session for John Peel in 2003, and that year released his first LP A, also touring with Baltimore’s OXES as his backing band.
McCombs and his band spent much of 2003 and 2004 touring, performing everywhere from the All Tomorrow"s Parties festival to house shows.
McCombs otherwise divided his time amongst the Pacific Northwest, England and Baltimore. In spring 2005 he released PREfection on Monitor Records and 4AD, and in support of the album he toured with Modest Mouse.
Later that year, he moved to Southern California to begin work on his third full-length, Dropping the Writ, which was released on October 9, 2007, by Domino Records. lieutenant was named one of Amazon.com’s Best of 2007.
Also in 2007 he toured with Ariel Pink"s Haunted Graffiti.
He signed a multiple-album deal with Domino Records, who released his following four records including, which was voted one of the “50 Top on the Year” by Pitchfork. lieutenant was followed by,, and He toured with John Cale in 2012, and also performed at the benefit concert Occupy Sandy.
Other bands he has performed or toured with include Ariel Pink, Cat Power, Band of Horses, Andrew Bird, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Peter Bjorn and John, Papercuts, The Shins, Iron and Wine, Deerhoof, The Walkmen, Jana Hunter, Thurston Moore, Joe Russo and The War On Drugs.
His single "Bradley Manning" premiered on the Democracy Now News Hour in 2012. His songs have been featured in films including the surf film The Present (2009), and Ralph Arlyck documentary Following Sean, as well as notable skate videos featuring Jason Dill, Jerry Hsu Chima Ferguson and Dylan Rieder.
His song "Bobby, King of Boys Town" appeared in Home Box Office show Girls (Season 2, Episode 9 - "On All Fours"). In 2014 he did a co-headlining fall tour with the Meat Puppets.
Cass McCombs released an album called "Skifflin" under the band name Skiffle Players with the member is Beachwood Sparks and circles of the sun.
The 10 song ep was released February 2016.