Biography

For Second Story Duo™, the creation of Reflections was a labor of love two years in the making, born out of a commitment to collaboration and artistic growth. For Lynn Case, one half of the duo alongside her partner Doug, the journey began with a simple New Year’s goal: to step outside her comfort zone and explore the possibilities of working with other musicians. That goal evolved into a rich tapestry of creative partnerships, culminating in an album that captures not only their growth as a band but also their personal reflections on life, love, and memory.

"This album started with the idea of collaboration," Lynn shares. "Doug and I joined a Tuesday night class where we share our new songs and get feedback from the instructor, a #1 song hit songwriter, Steve Seskin, and fellow songwriters/musicians. It really pushed us to elevate our work." One of the first collaborations was with their friend, Multi-instrumentalist and guitarist Robert Witmeyer, who brought a Heart-inspired flair to “New York/California Girl.” "I had this vision of a lead guitar part in that style, and Robert just rocked it. It was a challenge to live up to his playing, but it pushed us in the best way.”

Throughout Reflections, collaborations drive the music forward, shaping both the sound and the emotional depth of the project. Pianist Greg Sankovich was another key influence. "Greg’s a genius on the piano," Lynn explains. "He’s got this way of making me feel free enough to mess up on the way to finding the right path." Their work with Greg on the title track, “Reflections,” set the tone for the album’s exploratory spirit. “He patiently led us through the process, and by the end, I fell in love with the song all over again.”

The album stands apart from their previous work, particularly their debut album, What I Wish For Us. "With Reflections, we let the lyrics dictate the direction of each song," says Doug. "We weren’t bound by genre or style—we let each track evolve in its own way." The result is an eclectic collection of songs, from the country-tinged “Whiskey” to the French-inspired “The Lake Song,” a love letter to Lynn’s sister-in-law, complete with a lilting accordion performance by Doug himself, honoring his father’s musical legacy.

While the duo has always drawn from personal experiences in their songwriting, Reflections is perhaps their most intimate and varied project yet. "Every song touches a part of my life or someone I care about," Lynn reflects. “Whether it’s the story of a friend’s journey with Alzheimer’s in ‘The Long Goodbye’ or the carefree summers that inspired ‘The Lake Song,’ each track is a love letter to a moment or a person who means something to me.”

The collaborative spirit of Reflections extends to the backing vocals, with Rocio Guitard, Mary Zarucchi, Sharon Perl, and Maggie Wing—known as the “Shady Ladies”—lending their voices to create a fun, empowering anthem with "Out With My Girls." "Rocio co-wrote the song with us, did the harmonies, helped us with the vocal recording, and made the entire experience a blast. It was a whole new world of music for us.”

As Lynn and Doug look back on the two-year journey of Reflections, they recognize not only the challenges they faced but also the immense growth that came with it. "Every song on this album taught me something new," Lynn says. "Whether it was learning to trust myself more or figuring out how to sing in a way I never had before, each track required its own lessons.”

At its heart, Reflections is a celebration of the moments that shape our lives—both the small, everyday ones and the profound ones we carry with us forever. "I hope listeners can find their own journeys in these songs," Lynn shares. "For me, each song is a reflection of a piece of my life, and I hope people can use them to reflect on their own experiences, too.”

Lynn was raised on musicals and developed a thrilling and emotional connection to songs, purchasing her first 45’ as a young girl. Inspired by female artists such as Judy Tzuke and Angela Bofill, Lynn had an early awareness of the lack of representation of female creators in the music industry describing “it was hard to find women artists when I was younger, so they (Judy Tzuke, Angela Bofill) were on my player over and over.” It wasn’t until she was 40 that she decided to sing in public, and at 50 write her first song(s).

Doug, an early Apple pioneer and multi-instrumentalist, grew up inspired by his father, who had a hit record in 1957 and owned a chain of music studios that Doug would later teach at with his mother. While incredibly proficient, music was more of an extracurricular activity for Doug. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he spent 18 years as a Naval Officer which led him to the doors of Apple, working with Steve Jobs. Later moving on to Google, he retired in 2013.

For Lynn and Doug, the dream isn’t to necessarily collaborate with the industry’s biggest stars—it’s for those artists to hear their songs and want to make them their own. “I would love for someone better than us to hear one of our songs and feel inspired to do their own version,” she admits. “That’s the ultimate goal—to create something that resonates so much, it takes on a life of its own.”

With an album as varied and personal as Reflections, Second Story Duo invites listeners to step into their world, one song at a time, and perhaps catch a glimpse of their own reflections in the music.

Reflections will be released on September 27, 2024