Over the hills and not so far away, a metal band is stirring in East County San Diego. Natural Selection has been a steadfast presence in the local music scene since 1997, delivering a blend of rock, metal, grunge, and country. Dean Osuna, the band's drummer, and an original member, shared insights with AmplifiedSD about their journey, stylistic evolution, and the band's enduring spirit.

Reflecting on nearly three decades of practicing and performing, Osuna described the band's evolution as rewarding, but ever-changing. "The experience has been amazing," Osuna said, "especially when you work with people that are like-minded and have the same goal in mind."

Natural Selection's lineup has seen considerable changes over the years, but Osuna remains a constant. "I think I'm the only one that’s stayed the same throughout the whole process," he said. "We lost our original singer and then got him back. Now my step-son [Chance Perez] sings and plays lead guitar."

Natural Selection consists of Dean Osuna on drums, Chance Perez on lead vocals and lead guitar, Jeremy Pittman on bass, Carl DeSiena on rhythm guitar, and Chris Pawlicki, their original singer, chimes in for an occasional show. 

Osuna has been a part of several bands alongside Natural Selection, including Malaki and Warpath, a band that almost went international. Osuna described Warpath as a heavy metal band consisting entirely of players from the Native American community. “We had a lot of Native American undertones in our music and we used a lot of Powwow type drumming for intros and between songs, and rattles, and all kinds of like super traditional Native American themes,” Osuna said.

“We all wore face paint, like war paint, and it was a smash. We were playing on Sirius XM, we were touring, but it kind of fell apart,” he said. “We were teetering on being a pretty big thing, we were touring the Pacific Northwest, but we were ready to go national. So that fell apart, we don’t play anymore, we might get together next year for a reunion, but I don’t know, I’m not going to hold my breath. But Natural Selection, strong and thriving!”

Osuna described the sound of Natural Selection as grunge and metal adjacent, "We have a Pearl Jam-kind of vibe with all our original music."

When asked about musical inspirations, Osuna cited bands like Slipknot, Volbeat, and Avenged Sevenfold as pivotal influences. He emphasized a preference for a raw, 90s-inspired studio sound akin to early Pearl Jam albums, praising their "studio feel" and nostalgic appeal.

Osuna expressed deep appreciation for the recording process, particularly with their trusted engineer and producer, Danny (who also happens to be Osuna’s brother-in-law and best friend). "He has a very nice setup at his house, it’s very comfortable," Osuna said. "Danny provides a really good environment, so it makes recording just a breeze."

Despite having recorded multiple times in the past, Natural Selection has never released any of their material. They plan to record all of their songs this fall and release their first album in early 2025. "We're planning to go back into the studio really soon to record EVERYTHING," he said. "Our library consists of about 28 original songs, so there’s a lot to share with our fans."

When they’re not working on their original music, Natural Selection performs at a wide range of events around their community. Playing at weddings, summer festivals, or the local Rotary Club, the band incorporates all sorts of covers in their repertoire. "We play country, oldies, classic rock, hard rock, alternative new-wave," Osuna said. "If we don’t know it, we’ll learn it in the parking lot and play it."

Dean Osuna predicts that Natural Selection’s debut album will be released in early 2025. Catch them performing their original music at Winston’s in Ocean Beach on September 21st, or follow them on their Facebook page for updates and bookings.