The Dreadful Yawns

The Dreadful Yawns originated in 1998 when singer/guitarist/songwriter Ben Gmetro joined forces with guitarist/singer Dave Molnar and drummer Charlie Druesedow. Their understated fusion of acoustic-based indie pop, space rock, and neo-psychedelic folk stood apart from Cleveland’s dominant late-’90s post-hardcore environment. By 2002, sustained determination and artistic consistency had begun earning the group an audience across the demanding Midwest. Following repeated personnel shifts that included short-lived contributions from several local bassists—Mike Allan eventually becoming the steady choice—along with various percussionists and keyboardists, the multi-instrumentalists finished their first full-length effort, Early, issued on Undertow Music in 2003. The Pretend EP appeared the next year, after which the band signed with Bomp Records. Their self-titled second album reached stores in 2005 and remained their sole release for that label. A subsequent move to Exit Stencil coincided with an almost total roster overhaul before the third album, Rest, surfaced in 2007. At that stage Gmetro was backed by Elizabeth Kelly, Chris Russo, Clayton Heuer, and Eric Schulte.