inner spectre

inner spectre is the musical project of Bryce Watson, a DMV transplant living in Asheville, NC. Coming up on a lot of classic rock music, Watson grew an affinity for funk, soul and jazz music after playing in jazz band in high school, and shortly thereafter began writing songs that combined jazz harmony with fun and funky pop drums for their first project, bruce take nap. With the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down all the gigs in the Washington, DC scene, they were able to focus more on their production process, and spent more time practicing keyboards than anything else. This new harmonic layout allowed them to progress their sound into the R&B and soul music that they had grown to love since 17. Always an introspective person, Watson's lyrics added a layer of melancholy and longing over top of smooth harmony and driving, syncopated drum patterns, and inner spectre was born. Their first project, "grapefruit" came out in August 2022, with the title track "grapefruit" being especially well-received by fans. The project touches on love, longing, and the dreariness of working 9 to 5. Shortly before the release of the record, Watson formed a live band with fellow DMV transplants Cameron Stack and Kevin Scott, as well as bassist John Taylor, who also perform Stack's original tunes live. The trio leaves plenty of space for Watson's wurlitzer piano and smooth vocals, and the split set is perfectly complementary, creating a dynamic live performance.