Courtesy of Edgar Carrasco

SOUNDS LIKE: Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam

LOCATION: San Diego

WEBSITE: www.silentlune.com

Some of the greatest bands have only had three members: Blink-182, Nirvana, Rush. Hoping to follow the success of bands such as these, San Diego trio Silent Lune has spent the last three years working on achieving perfection. Of course, having a small group also helps.

“Being a three-piece really makes us locked in,” bassist Sean Drake said.

Silent Lune, comprised of Drake, vocalist and guitarist Roger Chavez and drummer Jason Dean, is a band determined to make music despite the extravagant amount of time and money it takes. The recent financial toll took place while recording the group’s newest EP. “We really had to pinch our pocketbooks to pay for this,” Drake said. “(But) we make it work because we love it.”

The EP is titled “Melatona,” named after the vitamin version of the sleeping drug Melatonin, which induces vivid dream sequences. “That’s what the vibe of this three-song EP is. It’s very positive and some of the lyrics definitely can put (the listener) in a kind of dream state,” Drake said. The album was recorded by Alan Sanderson, whose résumé includes The Rolling Stones, Weezer and Switchfoot, and mastered by Grammy Award winner Erick Labson. It contains all new songs and will be released in most online MP3 stores early next month.

Drake cites Silent Lune’s influences as “The best of the “90s,” including The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. According to him, the band’s music is “a little bit less angsty than grunge, but it’s definitely grunge and post-punk influenced. It’s genuine music that’s relatable. You can relate to the music and identify with the energy. It’s a mature band.”

Of course, finding local people to hear the music is harder than it seems. “One of the biggest things is struggling with the scene,” Drake said. “San Diego’s alternative rock scene is almost nonexistent.”

But this doesn’t seem to faze the boys. “Obviously headlining festivals with Pearl Jam would be great, but we’re prepared for the long haul. We’re prepared to play smaller shows to gain fans the old-fashioned way and the new fashioned way with the Internet,” Drake said.

With so many struggles, it seems Drake, Chavez and Dean would have to be insane to keep Silent Lune alive. However, that’s exactly what the name means.

“It’s an inner lunacy that’s hidden from the world and expressed in our music,” Drake said. “And we’re all kind of crazy, to be fair.”

Silent Lune will be playing this Saturday at the Coyote Music Festival in El Cajon and on June 22 at the San Diego County Fair.