May 5

May 5 John Lake | The Bet | Single

“The Bet” is a musical take on a classic short story by Anton Chekhov, in which a businessman self-sequesters for many years in order to win a wager. John says, “I wrote this piece in a single day, under a self-imposed stipulation that I needed an opener for the album, and I wouldn’t leave my place until I had it. I remembered the Chekhov story and something just clicked.” This piece has extra significance for John, since the COVID pandemic has rendered everyone a recluse. “I think everyone has felt that kind of simmering tension at this point...I can’t go outside, but I’m going crazy cooped up in here. This song is an expression of that unrest.”