MC: Were there any discussions in light of the lineup changes of rebranding the band or changing the name?
Urie: No, from the get-go, from the first split we had, there wasn’t any discussion about changing the band name, because two guys wanted to leave and start a new thing, and I’ve always only wanted to be Panic! at the Disco. Panic for me symbolized carte blanche, I can do whatever I want, there’s no rules. It symbolized the excitement of art for me, which is the reason I wanted to do music. I joined a band because I didn’t want people to tell me what to do and wanted to create however I wanted. That continues to this day, I’m glad to say.
MC: Is there an A&R rep at DCD2 [formerly Decaydance] with whom you vibe about Panic’s music, decide what songs will become singles and so on?
Urie: No, I’ll usually just get on the phone and say, “Here’s a song, what do you guys think?” They’ll usually be like, “Sounds good, we’ll get back to you.” Back in April, I had “Hallelujah,” and they wanted to share it with people right away, before the album was done.
The “A&R” title is kind of strange because I’ve only associated that with friends. Pete was our original A&R dude. We were just kind of friends at that point. After a while, it becomes not so much a business relationship and they give a shit about what you’re up to, which is so rare nowadays. So it’s more asking opinions of friends or people who work for the label. But there’s no label head calling me in for a meeting. That would bug me, and they get that. It’s been that way for a long time.
MC: How will touring look different now with you leading the charge on your own?
Urie: It’s still very important for me to have that live feel. It’s more fun to tour with people that I like, so I just hired my friends to be my band, basically, which is awesome. You’re locked away with these people on a bus for two months at a time, you gotta get along, so it actually worked out really well.
I’ve thought about adding more elements to the live show, like horns and a live orchestra, a big-band thing.
MC: Could you see yourself recording with an orchestra for the next album?
Urie: Maybe. I’ve done it in the past, recorded with a live band and then sat in on the sessions for the strings and horns. I think next time I might try playing with the orchestra behind me. Maybe I’ll just do that for a side project. “Panic Presents the Christmas Album,” which I’ve always wanted to do.
MC: In the meantime, what are you eyeing for Panic’s next singles?
Urie: As of now, I’ve shot a video for “Hallelujah” and “Victorious” [the opening track and second single]. I want to do a few more videos but decide how to use my time wisely and do as many as I can in such a quick time.
Contact Collin Citron.
