With TEN ONE TWO set to land next month, Shake Stew offers Cherry Pie as a revealing midpoint in their ten-year story. Rather than acting like a teaser, the track feels like a threshold, bridging the composed ascent of TEN ONE with the freer, more volatile terrain of TEN TWO.
Built on subtle harmonic shifts and patient rhythmic motion, Cherry Pie moves with a quiet confidence. The ensemble’s trademark double basslines and layered percussion create a soft but insistent pull. At the same time, the horns circle each other with melodic restraint. There’s a clear nod to Don Cherry in its open-ended phrasing, and something Lynchian in the way it drifts between warmth and unease, never settling for too long.
What stands out is the band’s control of space. Every texture feels intentional, every pause earned. It’s hypnotic without being static, exploratory without losing its centre. As a first glimpse into the second half of TEN ONE TWO, Cherry Pie doesn’t explain where Shake Stew is going next. It simply invites you to follow.
“I feel like we’ve only just started,” says bandleader Lukas Kranzelbinder. “This year and the process of TEN has given us a creative boost that feels like we are beginning a completely new chapter.”
When you’re done with the audio, check out the fun official baking tutorial video for Cherry Pie above.
