Why Ryan Gosling’s Dead Man’s Bones is back in the spotlight after 17 years

Ryan Gosling’s band Dead Man’s Bones is back in the spotlight after teasing new music for October 27, 2026. The duo, formed with Zach Shields, announced the return on Thursday, October 22, ending a 17-year gap since its self-titled debut album.

The date comes from a Halloween-themed video posted by the band and Eva Mendes, according to Billboard. A child’s voice calls out ‘Oct. 27!’ in the clip, which uses the eerie mood and children’s vocals associated with Dead Man’s Bones’ earlier music.

What Dead Man’s Bones announced

Mendes had been hinting at a comeback on her social media feed. Rolling Stone reported that she first wrote she was ‘Trying to summon new music from Dead Man’s Bones’ and later posted, ‘He came through on his promise to me.’ Billboard also described an earlier post in which she used the band’s song ‘In the Room Where You Sleep’ alongside old horror-film footage.

Why the band’s return stands out

Dead Man’s Bones released its self-titled album in 2009 and then went quiet. The project pairs Gosling with Shields, a screenwriter and producer. Their debut was recorded with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir, a collaboration that helps explain why a child’s voice features so prominently in the new teaser.

Shields told Rolling Stone that the pair originally wrote the songs for the choir to sing. They began singing while working out the children’s parts and decided to make the record a collaboration between the two men and the choir. On the album, Gosling also played instruments including piano, guitar, synthesizer, cello and bass, Billboard reported.

The band’s sound drew on the Disney Haunted Mansion ride and the Langley Schools Music Project, Rolling Stone reported. Its songs continued to reach other performers during the long gap: Cat Power covered ‘Pa Pa Power’ in 2021. The October 27 teaser is the first specific date attached to the duo’s return.