Q&A with the American pop punksters playing Mao Livehouse this Saturday, July 31 at 9:30pm.

Panic! at the Disco got famous the easy way. Seriously. A few American high school kids from Las Vegas put together a demo and sent it to bassist Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. He was impressed and came to meet them. The rest is Top-40 history. 

Now in the midst of putting together their third album, the guys have two China dates on their summer roster. After Saturday's show, they'll go to Zhabei to play InMusic Festival.

Lead singer Brendon Urie, 23, answered a few questions for That's Shanghai on his fans, his fears, the next album and the zombie apocalypse.

Tell me about the next album

We've had a collection of many songs for about a year and a half, but have actually been recording our third album for only six months. We feel it sounds much different than both our previous records. I think that's always been a goal of our band; challenging ourselves to do something we haven't before. We've recorded all the music and are preparing for mixing. We hope to see it released early next year.

Key influences?

Spencer [as in founding member and drummer, Spencer Smith] introduced me to a couple new bands including Yeasayer and Local Natives. I've also really enjoyed Vampire Weekend's "Contra." New music aside, we've been listening to stuff we have our whole lives: Peter Gabriel, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Queen, Radiohead.

You've been going non-stop since high school - how do you relax?

When we're on tour, we usually watch a movie or just play some our favorite songs in a campfire-style in the back lounge. When we're in the studio, we take 5-10 minute breaks and play ping-pong matches to clear our heads. We also love to eat, so any time we can visit a new restaurant is always nice.

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If we weren't able to play music in our band, I would have liked to have gone to a recording/engineering school. Spencer says he would try his hand at becoming a neuroscientist.

Which fans surprise you the most?

We've been most pleasantly surprised by the fans outside of the U.S. only because they don't have as many opportunities to see bands there. They really make us feel appreciated and we love them for it.

You guys were discovered by reaching out to Pete Wentz - people must do that to you now: Have you ever brought up a fledgling band?

We've met a number of bands on the road, many of which have shared their music with us. I've never considered myself the "A&R" type [artists and repertoire, the people who scout talent], but I'm always glad to hear new and upcoming bands that are willing to share their music and efforts.

The exclamation mark: You started with it, it went away, then it came back. Care to explain?

Ah, yes. The exclamation mark. How do we love thee? Let me count the ways... 1, 2, 3...

Guess not. Moving on: You guys have made it and you're really young, what scares you about the future?

We haven't had too much time to think about the distant future because we're so wrapped up in what we're doing right now. But global warming has always made me a little nervous...

What are you listening to right now?

I've recently rediscovered Head Automatica's first album. It's a really great record to dance to. And I'm jealous of Daryl Palumbo's vocal ability and tone.

Lastly, the zombie apocalypse cometh: In your rucksack, there's space for one album, one personal extravagance and one book - what do you grab before they take the city?

If the zombies ever did begin to take over, I would probably bring Bob Marley and The Wailer's Catch a Fire. It would probably be smart to bring my new guitar along, not just to play, but because it is the heaviest guitar I've ever held and might come in use as a weapon. Lastly, I'd bring Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion because I haven't finished reading it yet.

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