Mahashmashana is the first Father John Misty studio album to feature full collaboration with Tillman’s longtime backing band: guitarists Chris Dixie Darley and David Vandervelde; bassist Eli Thomson; pianists/keyboards Kyle Flynn and Jon Titterington; and drummer Dan Bailey. Tillman explained, “This time around, I wanted to get the band in there and see what happened.” He praised Bailey’s drumming, saying, “For my money, I’d put [Dan] up against Joey Waronker, Matt Chamberlain, or any of those guys, so it’s criminal not to use him in the studio.” Tillman likened Bailey's drum breaks on “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All” to “noodles with olive oil, garlic, and truffle.”