By 1993, Grunge had broken through into the mainstream. Alice In Chains were among the pioneering bands from the Pacific Northwest scene that introduced the world to grunge. Their 1990 debut, Facelift, put the band on the map with a hit single. “Man In The Box” peaked at No. 18 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Its music video was on heavy rotation on MTV, and the band was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance.
They followed up with the Sap EP in early 1992 and a second album, Dirt, in late 1992. Their sophomore release was massively successful, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. With five hit singles, the band embarked on an extensive 1993 tour, co-headlining with Primus. During this tour, they joined the Lollapalooza lineup alongside bands such as Rage Against The Machine. The band had previously toured with Van Halen to promote their debut, and they were much more well-known on this tour. This extensive touring schedule put their living situation in dire straits. The band had been living in their practice space, a house in Seattle.
When they returned from their tour, they found that no one had been paying the rent. Therefore, they were unknowingly evicted from their practice space. What did they do next?
Alice in Chains Recorded One Of The Most Successful EP’s in History
Facing homelessness and being strapped for cash following their tour, the band moved into Seattle’s London Bridge Studio. Since they were in the studio anyway, the band began hashing out new material. Over a span of one week, the band penned multiple acoustic hits, some of which were previously unfinished ideas. This resulted in a brand new EP, introducing another side of Alice In Chains. The band released Jar Of Flies on January 25, 1994, with a lead single, “No Excuses”. The single went to No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Alice In Chains made history with the Jar Of Flies EP. It became the first EP in history to top the Billboard 200 at No. 1. Acoustic tracks such as “Nutshell” and “Don’t Follow” became fan favorites, featuring some of frontman Layne Staley’s most sincere vocal performances. At the time, bands like Nirvana were proving their songwriting on intimate, stripped-down MTV Unplugged sets. Releasing an acoustic-driven EP was brilliantly timed and led to their own MTV Unplugged performance in 1996.
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