Hannah Bowers, a singer-songwriter based in the Santa Cruz Mountains, releases “Shadow Of A Doubt” on June 30th, the second single for her new era of 2026. After spending twelve years in Los Angeles, Bowers moved back to her hometown in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the new change in scenery allowed her to work her way back into music. Upon her new change, this helped Bowers release her acoustic single “Swimmin”.
This song stemmed from a mindset shift, and the lyrics are vocal. Lines that read “who’s in charge/who’s gonna spit me out” read as if she wants us to question the systems we go through blindly without questioning the “system” of it all. It’s curious, and it’s inviting,
On “Shadow Of A Doubt” sonically it’s something that I crave… As a Liz Phair fan her vocals are reminiscent of her in every aspect, and it’s sonically captivating. It puts me in the mind of Liz Phair’s song “Girls! Girls! Girls!” with the same vocals that are effortless. There’s a subtlety of grunge that doesn’t keep the dreaminess of the single from feeling too soft.
To me, what really makes the song is how the vocals move throughout its duration. The harmonies threaded through “carry me down,” and it soars to its end… It’s beautiful. It’s some of the best vocal layering I’ve seen. Then “I’m weighing you down” returns to the end, repeating Bowers ’ vocals harmonizing, and it’s so satisfying. Bowers truly made me a fan with this song.
The song was produced by Bowers alongside her drummer and producer Katie Cole at their mountain-based studio, their second collaboration together, and that intimacy shows in this song. Bowers has a warmth to her production that I can rave on and on about, it feels personal.
Written by Anthony Perez
