We’ve all had it happen. You’re sound asleep, when suddenly you’re jolted awake by a sound, you’re not sure what. And in your groggy state, you move without thinking.

But wait. Ever have that feeling you’ve forgotten something?

“We left our bass player once by the side of the road,” said Bill Mallonee, lead singer and guitarist for the Athens, Ga.-based Vigilantes Of Love.

“It was about 4 a.m. and he got out to piss,” Mallonee said. “I woke up and drove off. We tracked him down about six hours later. But from what I understand, this has happened to other bands.”

Needless to say, the Vigilantes have had a change of bass players since then. And the band also has a new drummer. In fact, they could use a turn-style to keep the constant flow of musicians who can add “former Vigilante” to their resum’e.

But Mallonee explained the Vigilante integrity remains intact, namely because he does. “We’re a garage-folk-rock band. We operate at a small club level,” he said. “There’s just not enough money, and everyone’s looking for the next level up.

“I’m the songwriter, so I’ve got more emotional coins invested. But I’ve been lucky to work with the people I have,” Mallonee said.

Currently, Mallonee’s partners in crime are bassist Chris Bland, drummer Tom Crea and fellow guitarist Chris Donohue.

Yet, while VOL is clearly Mallonee’s baby, he doesn’t like the “c” word to rear its ugly head when describing the band’s relationship.

“Control is the bad word of the ’90s, so I won’t say that,” he explained. “I’m making sure the vision doesn’t get watered down. If everyone puts in their two cents’ worth, all you get is eight cents — and that’s not always the best way to a song.”

For the members of VOL, the path to least resistance starts with their Athens roots. Since launching the group in 1990 as an acoustic guitar/accordion act, the style has changed almost as much as the line-up.

Mallonee said the mid-80s brought a backlash against the “jangly” sound often associated with the Athens music scene. While the speed metal bands were gaining popularity, they weren’t playing good music.

Then came the wave. The second wave of Athenians that is. “We were a part of the second and third Athens wave of music,” Mallonee said. “The singer/songwriter became the focus.”

In the band’s fifth CD, Blister Soul, the focus seems to lie with the mysteries of man. “I’m forever drawn to the question of where human nature comes to the ultimate test and what that looks like from the inside out,” Mallonee said of the musical short stories showcased in the Blister Soul tracks. “I want our music to be direct, organic and vulnerable — the stuff that good relationships are built out of.”

You can start building your relationship with Vigilantes of Love when they play People’s Bar and Grill tonight. Tickets are $8 at the door, and get your tax returns done early ’cause this weekend is for Love. An ID is required.