For the recording of THE AX IN THE OAK, Weaver traveled from the Twin Cities where he is based, to Chicago's Engine Studio where he teamed up again with Brian Deck, the producer with whom he worked with on his 2007 release PAPER SKY. Drawn together by mutual friends and a love for the shimmering, electronic pop of Austrian-based musician Christian Fennesz, Weaver and Deck made a conscious effort to take a more experimental approach to create the mise en scene for Weaver's songs. Joining Weaver and Deck in the studio were cellist Julia Kent (Rasputin a), vocalist Erica Froman and some of Ben's friends: Will Duncan, Blake Sloan and Steve Reidell.