Following an exhausting and transformative tour in support of the group’s sophomore album Dirt (1992), Jar of Flies offered the Seattle grunge icons a chance to record music in a more relaxed environment and intimate, acoustic style. For the first time in the studio, singer Layne Staley, guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney were joined by bassist Mike Inez, who joined Alice in Chains midway through their 1993 tour.

“After playing loud music for a year, we’d come home and the last thing we wanted to do was crank up the amps right away,” Kinney later told Guitar World about the sessions that became Jar of Flies. “We just went into the studio with no songs written, to check out the chemistry. It all fell into place…We thought it would be a waste not to put that material out.” The self-produced EP acted as a spiritual sequel to the group’s last EP Sap (1992), which also featured a more acoustic-driven sound. Tracks like “I Stay Away,” “No Excuses” and “Don’t Follow” showcased the range of Alice in Chains, further establishing them as one of the most unique and engaging rock bands of the decade. It garnered the group two Grammy Award nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance (“I Stay Away”) and Best Recording Package. Jar of Flies made retrospective year-end lists from both Rolling Stone and Guitar World, and in 2022 was certified 4x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).