Panic! At the Disco survivors gain "Perspective"

Members of the group Panic at the Disco arrive at the 50th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles February 10, 2008.

DETROIT (Billboard) - Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith, former members of Panic! At the Disco, are anything but panicked as they prepare for life after a schism that cut the band in half.

The two severed ties amicably in July with guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker, who have started a new group called the Young Veins.

"Luckily it didn't end badly," frontman Urie told Billboard.com. "We all understand we wanted to do different things and were just pulling each other's strings in different directions. I think we were very fortunate that we're all still very good friends and were able to come to this amicable agreement."

Now Urie and drummer Smith, who are finishing up a run opening for Blink-182 with some hired hands, are plotting their next move. They have a new single out, a song called "New Perspective" -- which Urie wrote about nine months ago after waking from "an intense, really lucid dream" -- that was recorded for the soundtrack to the film "Jennifer's Body."

Urie said he and Smith have about 10 other songs ready to consider for Panic's third album. "Some stuff sounds like Frank Sinatra," Urie said, "and some stuff sounds ... kind of like the Who, and some stuff is just rock, and it's a lot of fun to play. We really want to spend a lot of time writing and just messing around with ideas in the studio."

They'd like to record the album this fall and have it out "by the beginning of next year, February or something." Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus has agreed to produce at least one track.

"There's always a bit of nerves that come with expectations and new situations," Urie said. "But, really, Spencer and I are just trying to get back to where we used to be, and we're looking forward to doing more tours and writing new songs and meeting new people and having all these new experiences.

"The future should be exciting, you know? It shouldn't be a nerve-wracking experience."

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)