Young Fresh Fellows Tap Neko Case For 'Destination'

Official Announcement | Published: Jan 07, 2026 2:56 PM EST

(Yep Roc Records) Seattle's cult heroes Young Fresh Fellows new studio album, Loft, will see a wide release on March 27. Marking the band's first new studio album since 2020's Toxic Youth, the second track from the album, "Destination" feat. Neko Case is out today.

Of "Destination," Scott McCaughey says, "Neko originally came over to sing harmonies. We worked on it for a couple of hours, and she sang all the way through the song. Later, when I was mixing, I muted my vocal just to see what would happen-and suddenly the song made more sense. It wasn't a plan. It didn't feel like a "feature." It just sounded better. Eventually we put my voice back in on the choruses, but she's clearly the lead. It's probably the first official Fellows song where that's the case, and I'm totally fine with that."

Recorded at Wilco's famed Loft studio in Chicago, the album captures the band's signature wit, fuzz, and rock 'n' roll energy over 11 new songs. Featuring Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5, Baseball Project, No Ones, R.E.M.), Kurt Bloch (Fastbacks, Filthy Friends), John Perrin (NRBQ, JD McPherson), and Jim Sangster (Tripwires, Roy Loney), they enlisted GRAMMY Award-winning producer/engineer Tom Schick (Wilco, Mavis Staples, Iron and Wine) to helm the board.

They later invited a cast of kindred spirits to lend their magic, including Neko Case (lead vocals on "Destination"), John Stirratt (Wilco; harmony vocals), Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople; keyboards), Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven; violin), Jenny Conlee (The Decemberists; accordion, harmony vocals), Mark Greenberg (Eleventh Dream Day; vibraphone), Peter Buck (R.E.M.; 12-string guitar), and Dave "Max" Crawford (Poi Dog Pondering; trumpet).

Fully formed in Seattle in 1983 by McCaughey, Sangster, Chuck Carroll, Tad Hutchison, Young Fresh Fellows became an unexpected college-radio favorite with their 1984 debut The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest, now regarded as a key release of the early Seattle music scene.