Last month, Blink-182 cut ties with Interscope Records, ending a 15-year history with the Universal Music Group and officially kicking off what [article id="1696172"]Mark Hoppus described to MTV News[/article] as the band's "independent" era.

"The future's a wide-open door," he wrote in an email. "We're lucky to be in a position where, after 20 years in our band, we can be ... open to all options."

And by now, most Blink fans know what the first of those options will be: Last week, the band announced they'd have an EP in stores by Christmas, marking their first new music since 2011's [article id="1670796"]Neighborhoods[/article] album.

So once again, MTV News hit up Hoppus to get some details on the project, and he definitely delivered ... starting by revealing the tentative release date for the new EP.

"We're very excited about getting these songs out before Christmas. As it stands today, the EP is set to release on December 18," Hoppus wrote. "We're not sure how many songs will make the final EP ... hopefully all five, but we'll make the final determination when the mixes are complete."

Hoppus said that the EP will be released on iTunes and through Blink-182's website, and added that pre-orders will begin though the band's site "in the next week or so." He also let it be known that Blink also plan on releasing limited-edition gift packages that include "a special screened, museum-quality poster, limited-edition T-shirts and sweatshirts, wrapping paper, holiday cards and whatnot."

"It'll be something fun and funny for the holidays," he wrote. "But the music is the most important thing by far, and we are truly excited for people to hear new music."

And to that end, he also wrote about Blink's newfound creativity -- and flexibility to do things their way -- both of which have been stoked by their departure from UMG.

"This kind of agility is exactly what we were looking for, post-label. We have ideas for songs, we get into a studio and put the ideas together, grind hard, chase that paper, and weeks later we release the songs on our own," he wrote. "I spent last week in the studio with Travis and Tom. It was great, ideas falling everywhere. Lots of long hours spent on five new songs. ... The band is in a great place creatively. Having everyone in the same room at the same time makes all the difference for us."