In April 2013, Smith and Myers recorded ten acoustic cover songs, selected out of a pool of over 4,000 fan requests, selecting a variety of different types of songs, from Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" to Adele's "Someone Like You". The tracks were released across two separate EPs, "Acoustic Sessions" on January 28, 2014, and "Acoustic Sessions Pt. 2" on March 28, 2014, with performance videos created for every track on the first EP. The band took much of 2014 off, a rarity for the band, which had pretty consistently moved back and forth between recording and touring for each album cycle. The time off was for the band to rest, specifically Smith, who had damaged his vocal cords and contracted oral thrush from the constant years of touring prior.