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By the time Pet Symmetry retreated to a cabin to write what would become 'Big Symmetry,' they had just wrapped up their previous record, 'Future Suits.' The album hadn’t even been released yet, but the Chicago-based trio — Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It.), Erik Czaja (Dowsing), and Marcus Nuccio (Ratboys) — were already buzzing with creative energy. What followed was a blur of music, friendship, psychedelics, and a t-shirt prank that left a mark on more than just their memories.

“It wasn’t the first time some of us had done this kind of cabin retreat,” says Weiss. “Into It. Over It. and Ratboys have both taken trips like this before. But for Pet Symmetry, it was our first time stepping away together to write as a band. We were anxious to get started on whatever was next. It ended up being a really awesome journey — for us as a band, as friends, and as songwriters.”

The process itself was a kind of creative sprint. While guitarist Erik Czaja came in with a handful of ideas, they weren’t songs yet — just fragments, pieces of a larger puzzle. That’s how Pet Symmetry prefers to work. “Erik will show up with a melody for a verse or chorus,” explains Weiss, “and Marcus and I will tear it up, flip it around, and organize it into something cohesive. We spent the first week just compiling songs and the last few days tracking drums. It was very immediate, and VERY productive.”

Not in the least because of some psychedelics that were involved. For Weiss and Czaja, it was their first time experimenting with psychedelics. “That experience was actually a big reason why we structured the retreat the way we did,” Weiss says. “We wrote ‘Big Engagement’ while we were coming down from that trip. It gave the whole experience — and the album — a deeper meaning.”

The impact of that day extended far beyond the cabin walls. “It also rewired my brain in a way that I’ve been able to articulate in Into It. Over It. and They’re / Their / There songs that have been written and released within the last couple of years,” Weiss says, “This record though was the music I was working on while realizing how formidably important psychedelics could be on the mind while also shifting my outlook on life and creativity.”

And yes, the t-shirt prank is real — an ongoing private joke between Weiss and his wife. “We’ve been hiding this ridiculous t-shirt on each other for years,” he laughs. “She’s way better at it than I am. She definitely won that round.”

With that kind of headspace — communal, vulnerable, and creatively open — it’s no surprise that Big Symmetry emerged as a record centered on love. “That wasn’t the original goal,” Weiss admits. “But with everything happening in the world, especially coming out of the pandemic, I felt it was important to challenge myself. Future Suits was about uncertainty and questioning everything. Big Symmetry is the resolution. I wanted to write something that felt hopeful. It was a genuine challenge for me to do it, but ultimately the goal was to leave listeners feeling better about the world. Not worse.”

Writing a full album of love songs was new territory, but Weiss embraced the challenge. “I’m from Jersey,” he says, grinning. “I have a sharp tongue. I know how to talk shit. But the trick was to be sincere without being corny. To wear your heart on your sleeve but still be clever. It turns out — love really is the answer. It’s not just a cliché.”

Though the album was written quickly, the recording process spanned nearly four years. “That was just a matter of scheduling,” Weiss explains. “We all had other projects going on, and because we self-released Big Symmetry, we were able to take our time and be calculated about it. Future Suits got buried by the pandemic and scheduling issues. We wanted to make sure this record got released at a time when we could put our all into it.”

Even with the long production timeline, excitement never waned. “If anything, it just kept us more excited seeing the songs grow and develop more and more over time,” says Weiss. “We weren’t toiling away in the studio for days on end. We’d pop in and revisit the session every few months and do a little more work on it when we had available time.”

That sense of intention extended to the release plan: “We waited until we had everything aligned — records in hand, tour dates ready, a clear schedule. We wanted to do this right.”

Still, 'Future Suits' lingers in the background as a bittersweet what-if. “That record didn’t get the love it deserved,” Weiss says, a little wistfully. “I adore that album. I think it’s one of our best and not being able to tour on it and give it the release it warranted is partly why we have been going so much deeper on this record. I hope people come around to that LP more with the release of Big Symmetry. I think that record kicks ass.”

As for Weiss’ biggest pet peeve? “People who don’t hustle off an airplane when it lands,” he says without hesitation. “C’mon y’all! What are you waiting for?”