Willie Shaw~ “Q&A”!!!

1.     Hello Willie, can you tell us all a little bit about yourself before you became a musician? Hey! My name is Willie Shaw and I grew up in Southern California playing sports my whole life. I ended up receiving a baseball scholarship to The College of William and Mary and graduated with a Masters in Accounting. I had been a street performer in my college town of Williamsburg and some odd connections led me to Nashville where I worked with NASA and then Northwestern Mutual with a team of financial planners. While I was working in financial planning I sang in a bar on the right night and a CAA agent introduced me to Warehouse West Entertainment which is my current home. 
2.     What made you want a career in music?I’m not sure I was dying to have one honestly. Don’t get me wrong, music has always been a deeply rooted passion of mine but I never knew how to get into the industry and most of my life was planning for the ‘real world’. After being introduced to the right people though it felt like a natural fit so I ran with it. 
3.     How would you describe your music in 3 to 5 words?Emotion enveloped in rhythmic color.
4.     Who are a few of your musical icons?It depends which decade haha. My parents are 7 years apart so I had an upbringing of vastly different eras. Typically I like to trend toward the old american song book and listen to Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and other big band war time music. However, my mom was a huge fan of the singer songwriter movement of the 70’s so I got my fair share of Beatles, Jim Croce, James Taylor, etc. Some of my favorite modern acts are Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, FKJ, Tom Misch, and lately Morgan Wallen oddly enough. 5.     What made you want to move to Nashville, TN? I visited after school and I liked the idea of moving to a city where I knew literally no one where I could try and make a name for myself. 
6.     What is the background story behind your latest single “Come Through?”During quarantine I had a ton of time on my hands and figured I’d write some more songs. It turns out it’s pretty difficult to write songs when you’re not able to live life. So- I would start sketching out a track and see where it would take me. Somewhere along that process I decided to ask my Instagram followers for input. So I would make a track- post it, and say what does this sound like? I would receive responses and then try and crank out a song as fast as I could. Some of the words in the song were actually submitted by other people and I tried to tie them together. A friend of mine actually put her name in the suggestion box and that’s why the song is saying “Anna I’ll be singing to you”. Other words were dream team, quarantine, beach, and corona. It became quite a fun project. 
I wrote the song within 30 minutes or so and stopped once I got to the end of the chorus. I sent it over to Robopop to hear what he thought and he said “send it immediately”. He turned the track into what it is today. What is so special about his production is that we didn’t trade notes at all. I sent it to him. He sent it back. That was it. 
I love this song because of the euphoric dance fantasy you feel while listening to it and then subtle smirking that happens because of the sarcasm in the lyrical melancholia. 
7.     What are a few of your favorite venues or events to play at?I was able to play the Troubadour not long ago and that was pretty awesome. I also was pretty lucky that I got to play the Bluebird Cafe. I would have to say I feel most comfortable playing the Listening Room though here in Nashville. 
8.     What is one of your favorite quotes?What good is the world if you forfeit your soul. 
9.     Is there anything else you would like to share? I have written over 220 songs since September 2018 and I can’t wait to start sharing them with everyone.

Willie Shaw~ Artist Spotlight!!!

Willie Shaw is a California local and now currently living in Nashville. Shaw is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist he combines relevant pop songs from real-life stories. Covering emotion in rhythm, Shaw makes a sympathetic link amplified by boasting falsetto, smooth grooves, and having different vivid colors in the production of his music. Signed by CAA and Career Artist Management, Shaw’s independent first EP presents his stunning flair. 

            Born and grew up in Orange County, CA, Shaw first recognized the likehood of music was at his home. Having a remarkable voice of her own, his mother sang backups during sessions at the famous Capitol studio in Los Angeles. In high school, Shaw found his voice. Focusing his time on baseball, football, and basketball, he was also part of the concert choir class. To save his grade from a “B” to an “A”, he took the stage and perform Stevie Wonder’s hit song “You Are The Sunshine of My Life.” Not only did he protect his grade, his teacher asked him to join the honors choir. For the next four years, he divided his time between the baseball diamond, and choir practice, by jogging back and forth to both. 

            Attending William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, he played baseball at the college level and also at the same continue to write and perform music. Playing regular gigs at the student lodge, he sang in colonial Williamsburg, playing covers for three hours a night outside of a known restaurant that valued the impact in wine sales. In the development, he grew a delightful appearance and noticeably improved his vocal skills. 

            Upon graduation, he left California and moved to Nashville. By day, he did an accounting gig for NASA. At night, he dedicated many hours to songwriting. Getting motivation from Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong, he worked to shape his sound. Shaw did a great 2018 audition for the hit show “The Voice,” which opened up a series of many doors for him. By fate, he met Jeff Gregg at CAA and signed to the world-renowned agency. A publishing deal with Warehouse West Entertainment came next. During CMA Fest 2019, he charmed the attention of Career Artist Management (Maroon 5, Big Boi). With these sections in place, he got right to work on his first EP.

            The first single, “Falling in Love,” supports with percussive handclaps, sparkling keys, jazz-y guitar sounds, and beautiful talk box produced by Robopop (Lana Del Ray, Andy Grammer). Shaw’s voice expanses from a breathy introduction towards a joyful and charming song. Also, the EP, showcases an acoustic sound on the single “Sunday Call.” His storytelling takes the main stage as he explains a family ritual and also speaks to his mom and dad. “Every Sunday, Shaw has  a check-in phone call with his mom and dad, and shares “if he missed it, his mom would probably send a S.W.A.T. team after him.” This song is very personal to Shaw. 

            Another single from the EP called “Rhythm of a Woman,” swags from finger snaps and a doo-wop groove to a spellbinding hook about “when you realize the person you are dating is crazy, but you love it.” “I Always Knew,” is a tune that covers a bright image and speaks to undying love above unclear guitar as he embraces the “perspective of a groom on his wedding day.”

            On August 14, 2020 Shaw brand new single “Come Through,” came out and is available on all popular music outlets. If you would like to find out more about Willie Shaw then check out his website at (https://willieshawmusic.com).

Social Media Accounts: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WillieShawMusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willieshawmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whs10

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WillieShawmusic