Periphery have released acoustic versions of “It’s Only Smiles” and “Scarlet” as part of a two-track single titled “Acoustic Sessions.” Vocalist Spencer Sotelo commented:

“We had Mike Dawes out with us on tour last fall and we decided to have an acoustic break in our set where Mike would come out and perform these two songs with me. The crowd response was electric every night! We figured we’d try and capture that magic in the studio and recreate the whole vibe. The songs actually ended up taking on a whole new feel once they were recorded, and ended up sounding so fresh and unique that we’ve even talked about possibly doing more in the future. I hope everyone enjoys them as much as we do.”

Dawes added:

“I’ve been a fan of the guys in Periphery as musicians and humans for well over a decade so recording these was extra special. Back in 2016, I realized a solo cover of ‘Scarlet’ as a way to showcase the melodic side of heavy music to my, at the time, pretty anti-metal fanbase so it’s cool to have rearranged it along with ‘It’s Only Smiles’ to introduce the modern acoustic playing to Periphery’s fans. The November tour opening up for the guys was such a blast, and Spencer and I locked into a kind of synergy you can only really get through gigging. Too bad there wasn’t time to track our neurotically profound Backstreet Boys’ covers. Maybe someday.”