Ryan Gosling’s band Dead Man’s Bones released “Lost in the Night” on Tuesday, its first new music in 17 years, along with a black-and-white music video. The single comes from the rock duo of Gosling and screenwriter-producer Zach Shields. They put out one album, a 2009 self-titled collaboration with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir. The sound that record established, built on ghosts, monsters and children’s voices, returns here. ANTI- Records, the label behind the debut, is releasing the new song, and Tim Anderson, a longtime collaborator, produced it.
The video stars Rain Spencer of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and Noah Jupe of “Hamnet.” It opens with Spencer walking through a graveyard under a black-and-white filter before cutting to Jupe on a bench. The pair then leave the cemetery for lamplit city streets, turning a story of the dead into a romantic night among the living. Shields has a link to both actors: they collaborated on a theatrical workshop of a play he wrote.
The release followed a patient tease. The band’s Instagram first hinted at new music October 22. The announcement clip carried a spoken rhyme about bones rising and a date of October 27. Gosling’s partner, actress Eva Mendes, helped build anticipation. She posted that she was trying to summon new music from the band, then wrote after the confirmation, “He came through on his promise to me.”
Gosling’s musical profile has grown in the interim. His performance of “I’m Just Ken” in “Barbie” reached the pop charts and earned an Oscar nomination. His film slate is full, with a “Star Wars” movie, “Starfighter,” and a Marvel film, “Ghost Rider,” ahead. That workload makes a band comeback notable.
Fans of the original record welcomed the news. One music site noted that commenters on its announcement post were unanimous in their approval. Skeptics could question whether a single marks a lasting revival or a seasonal one-off timed to Halloween. Reports so far do not mention a follow-up album or a tour. For now, the song and video offer a short return to a project that predates Gosling’s biggest music moment.
