Over the last three months, Evan Weiss’s calendar has been hectic. The 30-year-old Chicagoan has split his time between the solo project Into It. Over It., the math-rock trio Their/They’re/There, and the power-pop outfit Pet Symmetry, which releases its debut LP, Pets Hounds, May 19 on Asian Man Records. Here’s what Weiss has to say about Pet Symmetry and Chicago’s punk scene.

On how the band formed: “I’d had this idea in my mind where I really wanted to play bass in a band again, so I put feelers out. I guess I put out too many feelers because two bands formed instead of one.”

On the band’s writing process: “Erik Czaja brings the initial guitar part or song idea, and then Marcus Nuccio and I just kinda take it and fuck it up.”

On the Pets Hounds sound: “Carefree. We were also happy with how loud the record is. The record is loud.”

On the punk revival: “It’s happening nationwide—in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Massachusetts, New Jersey. The Midwest has a grip on this sound. It’s not the only place, but it’s the best.”