"It’s cool to have rearranged It’s Only Smiles to introduce modern acoustic playing to Periphery’s fans." Periphery team up with English guitarist Mike Dawes for new single

US prog metallers Periphery display their softer side with the release of their new two-song single, Acoustic Singles, featuring stripped-down versions of Scarlet (from Periphery II) and It’s Only Smiles (from Periphery IV: Hail Stan). You can watch a video for the latter below.

The track features a guest appearance from UK guitarist Mike Dawes, who has been named Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World multiple times by polls in Total Guitar and MusicRadar.

"We had Mike 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," explains vocalist Spencer Sotelo. "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."

"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," adds Dawes. "Back in 2016, I realised 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."

Acoustic Singles is also available as a 7-inch single on white and gold vinyl, limited to 500 copies.

Get Acoustic Singles.

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.