Willie Shaw is announcing his engagement to longtime girlfriend turned fiancée Katie West with the release of his brand-new single, “Ring In My Pocket.”
Shaw’s track won’t be available until Friday (Nov. 11), but he has chosen to share the tune and lyric video one day early for readers of Music Mayhem in this exclusive premiere. An affectionate sing-along, “Ring In My Pocket” finds Shaw wearing his heart on his sleeve and showcasing his tender side as he puts it all out on the table for the one he loves.
Through a simplistic melody and honest lyrics, Shaw captures the vulnerability that comes with taking the next step on a couple’s journey from boyfriend and girlfriend to newly engaged partners.
By the time the chorus hits, Shaw is gleefully imagining what his wedding day will be like when his bride is standing across from him ready to say “I Do.”
“I can see it now / You’re wearing white / And I’m just a mess / Turns out forever / Starts with a yes / I prayed for you darlin’ / I got more than I wanted / Take this heart on my sleeve / And this ring in my pocket / Take this heart on my sleeve / And this ring in my pocket,” Shaw croons the chorus, inviting listeners to share in his heartwarming love story.
Shaw opened up about the thoughts he experienced leading up to his sweet marriage proposal. He also shared how his latest song, which he wrote with Robyn Dell’Unto, who produced the track, brought that story to life in a way that appeals to fans everywhere.
“I knew that I wanted to marry her very early on, but I was worried about how big of a responsibility I was taking on and that I wasn’t enough,” the Nashville-based singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist told Music Mayhem. “I think the emotions of man are often forgotten in the process and this was a journal entry of what I was feeling. This song is me saying to my now fiancée, ‘I can’t give you the world, but I’ll give you everything I have and then some if that’s enough let’s do this. Her response… ‘FINALLY!’ A moment I will never forget.”
“My music is meant for listeners to discover or remember things about themselves,” he added in a press release. “A song can give you a boost or make you think, but it has an ability to encourage looking inward — acting almost like a mirror. That happens when the emotion comes through the instruments and the notes. That’s what I try to bring.”
A California native, Shaw found his singing voice in high school, where he was a member of the Honors Choir. He juggled his talents in baseball and music until he moved to Nashville following a Master’s degree, which he earned from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. In 2018, he found success through an audition for The Voice, which led to him nabbing an artist development and publishing deal with Warehouse West Entertainment.
Shaw, who has opened for acts like Sammy Hagar, Old Dominion, Brantley Gilbert, and more, is preparing to independently release an EP in 2023 called Roots. “Ring In My Pocket,” the follow-up to “Moonlight Memories,” is the second offering from the upcoming collection.
Take a listen to “Ring In My Pocket” in the clip above.
