7 Actors You Might Not Have Known Are Also Musicians
In a world where it seems like every child star cranked out by Disney and Nickelodeon is gifted a recording contract just for showing up, here are seven actors, both well-known names and up-and-comers, who've also spent time working on their musical talents.
Be sure to chime in by adding any of your favorite actors, TV or film, that have been hard at work making some good music, too!
Ryan Gosling - Singer-Songwriter for Dead Man's Bones
Image: Dead Man's Bones
A collaboration with Zach Shields, Dead Man's Bones is an epic folk duo whose work also features the vocal talents of the children of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. All of their spooky tunes, like "In The Room Where You Sleep" (below) and "Lose Your Soul," are grounded in the themes of horror and the supernatural.
Buy Dead Man's Bones on iTunes!
Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) - Lead Vocals and Bass Guitar for Lost in Kostko
MTV "Teen Wolf"
The Teen Wolf star sings lead and plays bass for the band that describes itself as “aggressive pop-punk.” The group formed in California in 2009.
From their official band website:
Hailing from the quiet suburbs of Santa Clarita California, the three piece band, LOST IN KOSTKO, is ready to come out of the womb and rock your world by delivering the fun, energetic and creative elements that are missing from today's music.
Check out Lost in Kostko's official website!
Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) - Singer
Image: Fanpop
Gossip Girl fans likely remember the infectious pop hit "Somebody To Love" featuring Robin Thicke that burst onto Top 40 radio as the guilty pleasure hit its peak, but you might be happy to find out that Leighton Meester has continued to quietly work on folk music. Check out an awesome performance of her collaboration with Check in the Dark lead singer, Mike Frieman, "The Stand In," below!
Rob Pattison - Singer-Songwriter
Image: Atlantic Records
Pattinson's focus might currently be on his acting career, but that didn't stop him from contributing two songs to the Twilight soundtrack, "Let Me Sign" (below) and "Never Think." If the Hollywood heartthrob ever decides to switch career paths, he totally has a shot at making a seamless transition. In a past interview with the Los Angeles Times, Pattison said:
I’ve never really recorded anything — I just played in pubs and stuff –- and I really didn’t want it to look like I was trying to cash in. I hope it doesn’t come across as that. I’m not going to be doing any music videos or anything. Music is my backup plan if acting fails. I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.
Buy Twilight (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on iTunes!
Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars) - Singer-Songwriter
ABC Family "Pretty Little Liars"
The Pretty Little Liars star performed at Spiedie Fest 2013 in New York City, jamming out to covers of hits by the likes of Bob Dylan and Lana Del Rey (below) while also throwing in some of his self-penned original material. Get all of the details from the show at Alloy Entertainment after watching this performance of "Born To Die."
Check out Keegan Allen's profile on Last.fm!
Jason Schwartzman - Drummer for Phantom Planet and head of Coconut Records
Image: Coconut Records
Though he left the band in 2003 to pursue a career in acting, Jason Schwartzman is the former drummer of Phantom Planet, the band made super famous through their contribution of the theme song to the hit TV series The OC, "California" (below). Today, Scwartzman is the brains behind Coconut Records, the solo project that has steadily turned out great music since 2006 through Young Baby Records.
Buy Davy, the latest album from Coconut Records, on iTunes!
Macaulay Culkin - Percussion, Kazoo, Vocals for The Pizza Underground
Image: The Pizza Underground
What is there to say, really? Macaulay Culkin is touring the country with his experimental musical group, The Pizza Underground, spreading artistic love for all things extra cheesy. Kevin Mcallister would be so proud! The group mainly does pizza-inspired covers of Velvet Underground hits.
Check out the official band page for The Pizza Underground!
Again, be sure to contribute any of your own additions to the list below!