WXTJ Writes! by Gundega Davidsone: Dead Man’s Bones — The Band That Changed My Life Forever
By Phoenix Banks
I have not always had such a passion for the supernatural. Growing up, in fact, I was an extremely fearful child, afraid of anything and everything, for that matter. It was not until my teens that the things that once terrified me became fascinating. Horror has now become a great part of who I am, including the music I listen to.
Of course, there are the horror classics: “Halloween” by Siouxie and the Banshees, a haunting tune reminding us of the “bitter and the sweet;” “Pet Sematary” by the Ramones, the lyrics of which were written in one hour in the basement of Stephen King’s home in Maine (the stuff of legends, right?); and “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus, a chilling tribute to the 1931 Dracula film star. While I cannot go a single October without listening to these, my favorite album to soundtrack the spooky season is a little less orthodox.
I so distinctly recall listening to Dead Man’s Bones while walking from the train station to my friend’s house when I was fifteen. I was walking through the woods; the leaves were brown and the sky was gray, and I remember passing a small cemetery surrounded by a dark fence, with mossy gravestones, and a smell of autumn rain. In my headphones, Dead Man’s Bones’ self-titled album was playing, and it sounded exactly like that walk.
The musical duo Dead Man’s Bones was formed in 2007 by Zach Shields and Ryan Gosling (yes, the Ryan Gosling who was in The Notebook; yes, the Ryan Gosling who was in Project Hail Mary; and yes, the Ryan Gosling who was in Barbie) when the two bonded over their appreciation for the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. Now I have never been to Disneyland, but that must have been quite the ride to form such an incredible band.
Both Shields and Gosling were fascinated with ghosts as children and decided to turn that fascination into a record of ghostly love letters and music made perfect by its flaws. The band did not use click tracks, played all the instruments themselves (even if they had never played them before), and limited themselves to three takes per song. Hence, the record has an almost DIY — do it yourself — feel to it, with pieces of humanity scattered throughout music about something not human at all.
This record was made in collaboration with the Silverlake Conservatory of Music children’s choir, who were initially intended to be the only voices on the record, but as the duo taught the songs to the children, they ended up deciding to sing on the record as well. As a result, they conceived their self-titled album, a dark indie folk-rock record with gothic influences. After its release on October 6, 2009, the band toured the United States, performing with local children’s choirs at each stop. Their tour was a success; although the band was not well known, those who attended the shows found them enticing.
The record begins with the chilling sound of thunder and a 50-second monologue softly spoken by a female voice about “finding the magic of life after death.” The intro then transitions into “Dead Hearts,” which begins with a haunting, rhythmic guitar that slowly grows louder, accompanied by quiet vocals. The tempo increases, and more layers (including drums) are added as tension builds. Then, with the sound of shattering glass, the music reaches its climax and never fails to send shivers down my spine. I do not know how to describe this part of the song, only that it makes me feel like I am flying. The song then slows and quiets down again, until the voice is just a whisper, and it closes out with a loud, accelerating heartbeat accompanied by heavy breathing (talk about spooky).
I will not bore you with such detail on every song on the record, but I will give you some favorites to listen to, which are “In The Room Where You Sleep,” “My Body’s a Zombie For You,” “Pa Pa Power,” “Lose Your Soul,” “Dead Man’s Bones,” and “Flowers Grow Out of My Grave.” This record includes tracks that hold a dark, dramatic pain as well as tracks that are far more cheerful and almost flirtatious; altogether, it is a wonderful depiction of love and death. It is a true musical masterpiece, and I have not found any album that sounds more like Halloween than this record (though I am open to suggestions).
After releasing this eerie album, the band sort of disappeared. I suppose this was when Ryan Gosling’s acting career really took off, and they no longer had time to make their beautifully haunting music. In more recent years, however, the band has been gaining more attention; so much so that after 17 years of silence, they unexpectedly released their newest single, “Lost In The Night,” on October 27, 2026.
This band and their one and only album have meant so much to me. Since I discovered it all those years ago, I have been listening to it every October, and, honestly, every other month too. I mean, this band was my top artist on Spotify Wrapped! As I have grown and changed, Dead Man’s Bones has remained a constant in my life.
Which is why, on the morning of October 23rd, when I found out they had announced they were releasing new music, I genuinely teared up. It made my whole week. Now, once you finish this article, I expect you to go listen to some Dead Man’s Bones, listen to their new single, their old album, and have a wonderful, spooky Halloweekend, soundtracked by what may be the best band ever.
Gundega Davidsone (she/her) is a first-year student from Latvia. She intends to major in neuroscience and loves writing, listening to, and playing music in her free time!
