After the breakup of the latter in November 1990, he went on to play with Will Oldham on his project Palace Brothers. In 1994, McMahan formed The For Carnation which acted as a creative outlet; he remains the only permanent member of the band.
After the Palace Brothers disbanded in November 1990, McMahan joined forces with Will Oldham on his musical project. Two years later, in 1994, McMahan established The For Carnation as a creative outlet; he has remained an integral part of the group ever since.