STUDIO CITY, California -- Since the release of 3LW's second album was tainted by the controversial departure of Naturi Naughton last fall, Kiely Williams and Adrienne Bailon are excited to give the album the attention it deserves now that they are again a trio.

"This feels like a new beginning, a new start," Bailon said Wednesday in the group's first interview since Jessica Benson joined (see [article id="1470341"]"3LW Become A Trio Again ... Finally"[/article]).

3LW are gearing up to release a new single, the Lil' Kim collaboration "I Need That," and hit the road for the first time behind A Girl Can Mack.

In fact, before Benson even officially became a member of the group, Bailon and Williams were rehearsing choreography for their upcoming tour in New Jersey, a few hundred miles north of the newcomer's Maryland home.

"We had her come down and see how we vibed onstage as a unit," Bailon said. "And one of the cool things was that she was able to fake it without knowing the moves. We would just get on the stage and she was right in the pocket. I would stand back and look at all three of us and I was like, 'Wow, it looks like it was always supposed to be this way.' Like, 'OK, this is really cool.' "

Benson, who is only 15 but has been singing for 11 years, was still in shock on Wednesday.

"This is actually something that I've always wanted to do but I didn't think it was gonna come so soon," she said. "I've always said, 'OK, I'm gonna go to college and then I'm gonna try to get into the entertainment field.' But then I heard 3LW was doin' their auditions, so I said, 'I'm a go out here, see if I get this,' not thinking that I would actually get it. But I'm happy that I did."

3LW tour dates will be posted soon on the group's Web site.

To read the story of the Benson audition that almost didn't happen and the rest of the interview with the group, look for a 3LW feature on MTVNews.com next week.

For a full-length feature on the group's split with Naturi Naughton, check out "3LW: One Story, Two Sides."