Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields have returned to Dead Man’s Bones with their first new song in 17 years, picking up a musical partnership that hasn’t produced a release since 2009.
The duo have shared ‘Lost in the Night’ through ANTI- Records, arriving just in time for Halloween (surely Australia is on board now?) and bringing back the gothic atmosphere that made their self titled debut such an unusual record.
While Gosling has spent much of the past two decades building his Hollywood career, Dead Man’s Bones have remained largely quiet. Their only album arrived in 2009, and despite developing a dedicated following, there was never a second record.
Getting back into the studio wasn’t quite as straightforward as they expected.
According to their label, Gosling and Shields spent time trying different recording studios around Los Angeles, but couldn’t find the sound they were after. Eventually, they headed to a farm outside the city, armed with two guitars, two drum machines and two synthesisers.
Dead Man’s Bones ‘Lost In The Night’ video
They recorded ‘Lost in the Night’ in a single day
The track reunites them with producer Tim Anderson, who worked on their debut, although the new material leans further into drum machines, post punk guitars and synthesiser textures while retaining the band’s fascination with darker sounds.
There’s also a black and white music video (above) starring Noah Jupe (Hamnet) and Rain Spencer (The Summer I Turned Pretty), following two young lovers as they leave a cemetery and wander through the city at night.
For anyone unfamiliar with Dead Man’s Bones, the project began after Gosling and Shields bonded over their shared love of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction.
Their 2009 album brought together gothic folk, doo-wop and vintage rock, with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir providing vocals throughout the record. It was an unlikely combination, but one that found an audience well beyond the album’s original release.
Songs including ‘In the Room Where You Sleep’ and ‘Pa Pa Power’ continued circulating through film and television placements, while Cat Power covered the latter on her 2022 album Covers.
Now, nearly two decades later, the duo are making music together again.
There’s no confirmation of a second album, although the band’s recent social media activity suggests further material could be on the way.
For the moment, ‘Lost in the Night’ is their first new release since 2009, and an unexpected return from a project many fans had assumed was finished.
Watch ‘Lost in the Night’ via ANTI- Records.
MORE IN Music
