Staind have released “Ghosts,” their new single produced by Erik Ron, through Alchemy Recordings/BMG. The song arrived on October 14, 2026, alongside an official music video.
For guitarist Mike Mushok, the starting point was a riff that emerged during a Nashville writing trip with Ron. “I came up with the riff on the spot,” he said in comments published by Chaoszine. The two assembled the track that day. Aaron Lewis heard it later and added his vocal, completing another stage of a song that had begun with Mushok and Ron working together.
Lewis said the band had gravitated toward “Ghosts,” describing a song with both heavy and melodic elements. “It’s a little different, and it surprised all of us,” he said.
Ron previously worked with Staind on Confessions of the Fallen, released September 22, 2023. That album ended a 12 year gap between studio records and involved a change in the band’s working habits. In BMG’s release announcement, Lewis explained that the musicians exchanged ideas instead of spending their customary six months together in a studio. The process gave the songs time to develop between exchanges. He had also held onto lyrics specifically for Staind, keeping them separate from his solo work until the band returned to recording.
“Ghosts” arrives while Staind revisit Break the Cycle on its 25th anniversary tour. The band plays First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater in Albuquerque, New Mexico, tonight.
