Dead Man's Bones
Beyond his dazzling silver screen performances, actor Ryan Gosling harbors a deeply atmospheric musical project alongside friend Zach Shields, known as Dead Man's Bones. This unique duo blends indie rock with gothic storytelling, creating an ethereal soundscape that's both haunting and surprisingly tender. Their story begins not on a Hollywood set, but in a shared childhood fascination with the supernatural. Dead Man's Bones emerged from Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields' shared lifelong obsession with ghosts and the macabre. Their distinctive sound was intentionally raw, recorded with self-imposed rules and featuring an angelic children's choir. The band's unique musical approach has influenced artists across unexpected genres and found its way into horror film soundtracks.
AI Summary
Beyond his dazzling silver screen performances, actor Ryan Gosling harbors a deeply atmospheric musical project alongside friend Zach Shields, known as Dead Man's Bones. This unique duo blends indie rock with gothic storytelling, creating an ethereal soundscape that's both haunting and surprisingly tender. Their story begins not on a Hollywood set, but in a shared childhood fascination with the supernatural.
- Dead Man's Bones emerged from Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields' shared lifelong obsession with ghosts and the macabre.
- Their distinctive sound was intentionally raw, recorded with self-imposed rules and featuring an angelic children's choir.
- The band's unique musical approach has influenced artists across unexpected genres and found its way into horror film soundtracks.
A Haunting Harmony: The Birth of Dead Man's Bones
Before becoming a household name in cinema, Ryan Gosling pursued a different creative passion—music. In 2005, he teamed up with his friend Zach Shields to form Dead Man's Bones, a rock duo that would explore themes far removed from typical pop fare. Their collaboration wasn't just a side project; it was a deeply personal dive into the supernatural.
A Shared Obsession
What brought an aspiring actor and a musician together to make such distinctive music? A mutual, lifelong fascination with all things spooky. Shields, for instance, was so preoccupied with ghosts as a child that his parents even sent him to therapy.
Gosling's own childhood home was believed to be haunted, leading his family to eventually move out. These deeply personal experiences fueled their shared interest, proving some fascinations are never truly outgrown. Instead of fearing the eerie, they embraced it.
With this macabre connection, they decided to channel their shared obsession into art. Dead Man's Bones wasn't about frights, though—it was about weaving romantic narratives around ghosts and monsters, crafting "love stories" that just happened to feature the dearly departed.
Crafting the Sound: Rules of Engagement
When it came to recording their self-titled debut album, Gosling and Shields approached it with a unique artistic philosophy. They took on the ambitious task of playing every single instrument themselves, even if they'd never touched it before.
This hands-on, experimental approach extended to their recording rules. They consciously avoided using a click track—a metronome for musicians—allowing for a more organic, slightly imperfect rhythm. They also limited themselves to no more than three takes per song.
These self-imposed constraints weren't about striving for perfection, but rather about capturing a raw authenticity. Any "imperfections" became integral to the music, highlighting its genuine, unpolished charm and creating a sound truly their own.
The Ethereal Choir
Adding another layer of distinctiveness to their sound was a collaboration with the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir. This Los Angeles-based choir, founded by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, lent an angelic, otherworldly quality to their gothic tales.
Imagine spectral lullabies and haunting harmonies sung by innocent young voices—that's the magic the choir brought. Gosling, performing under the charming alias "Baby Goose," and Shields created a truly unique juxtaposition of childlike purity and grown-up gloom.
From Digital Debut to Live Performance
Before the full album dropped, Dead Man's Bones offered a taste of their sound. On Christmas Day 2008, they released a music video and free download for "In the Room Where You Sleep," followed by "Name in Stone" in April 2009 on MySpace and YouTube.
The self-titled debut album was officially released on October 6, 2009, through ANTI- records. It was produced by Tim Anderson of Ima Robot, who helped them shape their unconventional vision into a cohesive record.
To bring their ghostly compositions to life on stage, Gosling and Shields embarked on a tour in the fall of 2009, perfectly timed for Halloween. Each show was a unique event, featuring a different local children's choir and even a talent show segment.
This touring concept was a direct extension of their album's collaborative spirit, allowing them to connect with local communities and replicate the enchanting sound of the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir in every city they visited. They later released two more music videos for "Dead Hearts" and "Pa Pa Power" in 2010.
Unexpected Legacy and Influence
The unconventional sound of Dead Man's Bones resonated far beyond indie rock circles. In a surprising turn, the blackened death metal band Behemoth cited Gosling's use of a children's choir as inspiration for their 2018 album, I Loved You at Your Darkest.
This crossover highlights the project's unique ability to transcend genre boundaries, proving that a haunting melody or an unexpected vocal arrangement can inspire artists in the most disparate musical landscapes. They've also been cited as an influence by bands like Our Time Down Here.
Their music also found its way into film. The song "Lose Your Soul" was featured in the closing credits of the 2013 French film Age of Panic. Even more fittingly, "In the Room Where You Sleep" chillingly underscored a scene in the popular 2013 horror film, The Conjuring.
Article
Dead Man's Bones
Dead Man's Bones was a rock duo consisting of Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. Their first album, Dead Man's Bones, was released on October 6, 2009, through ANTI- records. The entire album is a collaboration with the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir — started by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea — from Los Angeles, California.
Background and development
Dead Man's Bones
When Shields and Gosling met in 2005 they discovered a mutual obsession with the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. Zach was so preoccupied with ghosts as a kid that he was put into therapy, and Gosling's parents moved out of his childhood home because they believed it was haunted. Neither of them had really outgrown their fascination with graveyards or anything deathly and decided to write love stories about ghosts and monsters.
The pair chose to play all the instruments on the record, even those they had never touched before. They also imposed rules on themselves during the recording process, such as not playing with a click track, and trying to do no more than three takes on any song, letting any imperfections highlight the strengths of the music. On December 25, 2008, Dead Man's Bones released a music video and free download for their song "In the Room Where You Sleep", and on April 4, 2009, the band released another music video for their song "Name in Stone" on MySpace and YouTube. The self-titled debut album from the band featured members of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music's children's choir and was released on October 6, 2009, through ANTI- and was produced by Tim Anderson of Ima Robot. Gosling and Shields also toured around the United States for fall/Halloween 2009 with a local choir and talent show at every show to rave reviews. Each children's choir was similar to Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir with whom they recorded the album. In 2010, they released two other music videos for tracks: "Dead Hearts" and "Pa Pa Power".
Gosling's use of a children's choir was cited as inspiration for blackened death metal band Behemoth to do the same on their 2018 album I Loved You at Your Darkest. They have also been cited as an influence on Our Time Down Here.
In the closing credits of the 2013 French film, Age of Panic, the Dead Man's Bones song "Lose Your Soul" is featured. The song "In the Room Where You Sleep" was included in the soundtrack of the 2013 film, The Conjuring.
Discography
Dead Man's Bones
<table><thead><tr><th>Release year</th><th>Album</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2009</td><td>Dead Man's Bones</td></tr></tbody></table>
• "Intro" • "Dead Hearts" • "In the Room Where You Sleep" • "Buried in Water" • "My Body's a Zombie for You" • "Pa Pa Power" • "Young & Tragic" • "Paper Ships" • "Lose Your Soul" • "Werewolf Heart" • "Dead Man's Bones" • "Flowers Grow out of My Grave"
Members
Dead Man's Bones
• Ryan Gosling – vocals, bass guitar, guitar, piano, keyboards • Zach Shields – vocals, drums, percussion, guitar • Shiviah Silvah – assistant engineer