Have You Heard Ryan Gosling's Halloween Album?

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Noel Vasquez/Getty

Temperatures are dropping, leaves are changing and pumpkin spice-flavored goods are returning to grocery store shelves, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to listen toRyan Gosling’s woefully underappreciated Halloween album.

In October of 2009, the two-man band, made up of rising star Gosling, now 41, and his friend Zach Shields, releasedDead Man’s Bones, its self-titled debut record — and only record to date.

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TheNotebookstar —who has been showcasing his musical chops since age 12— and the now-horror producer combined their love of music with their fascination with the supernatural to create the 44-minute-long album, whichPitchforkcalled"a truly unusual and surprising record."

Like the formerMickey Mouse Clubstar’s own filmography, the haunting yet endearing album is full of romance, death and thrills — or, in Gosling’s own words, “monsters and ghosts falling in love.”

To bring life to even the most undead songs on the"spooky doo-wop"record (like theNorman Reedus-approved"My Body’s a Zombie for You"), Dead Man’s Bones enlisted the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music Children’s Choir to sing backing vocals.

Though the album flew relatively under the radar — it didn’t top any charts — Gosling’s fans may have unknowingly heard their favorite actor sing some of its spooky songs. SeveralDead Man’s Bonestracks were featured on the soundtracks of projects likeThe Conjuring(“In the Room Where You Sleep”) andTeen Wolf(“Lose Your Soul”).

Less than two weeks after the album’s October release, the band embarked on itsfirst and only touracross 13 cities in the U.S. and Canada. At each stop, Dead Man’s Bones recruited the help of a different children’s choir — on the condition that they wore ghoulish clothes and makeup, of course.

Rather than a conventional opening act, each show began with a “talent show” of carefully curated local acts. Abehind-the-scenes documentaryof the band’s New York City show features a young Gosling ever-so-gently turning down a woman who wanted to perform what she called her “poop opera.”

“A poop opera, although I’m kind of amazed and it’s kind of the best thing I’ve heard all day, I’m not sure that it goes with the vibe,” the actor explained.

Noel Vasquez/Getty

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The most recent video on Dead Man’s Bones' YouTube channel is the “Werewolf Heart” music video, uploaded in June of 2011.

While Gosling is likely too busy perfecting his"Ken-ergy"to pick up where his music career left off over a decade ago, all 13 tracks ofDead Man’s Bonesare available to stream this spooky season.

source: people.com