Twenty One Pilots | |
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Josh Dun (left) and Tyler Joseph in Bangkok in 2015
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Background information | |
Origin | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2009–present |
Labels | Fueled by Ramen, WEA International, Atlantic |
Website | twentyonepilots |
Members | |
Past members |
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Twenty One Pilots (stylized as TWENTY ØNE PILØTS, sometimes shortened to TØP) is an American musical duo originating from Columbus, Ohio. The band was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist and keyboardist Tyler Joseph along with former members Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who eventually left in 2011, and currently consists of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The duo rose to fame in the mid–2010s, after several years of touring and independent releases.
They put out two self-released albums, Twenty One Pilots in 2009 and Regional at Best in 2011, before being signed by Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut, Vessel, was released in 2013. The duo achieved breakthrough success with their fourth album, Blurryface (2015), which produced the singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride". In addition, the single "Heathens", recorded for the soundtrack of the film Suicide Squad, made the group the first alternative artist to have two concurrent top ten singles in the U.S. The duo has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.
The band was formed in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio by college friends Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas and Chris Salih. Joseph came up with the band's name while studying All My Sons by Arthur Miller, a play about a man who must decide what is best for his family after causing the death of twenty-one pilots during World War II, because he knowingly sent them faulty plane parts for the economic good of his business. Joseph explains that the story's moral dilemma of choosing between the easy and the right decision inspired the name and formation of the band. On December 29, 2009, they released their debut, self-titled album, Twenty One Pilots, and began touring Ohio.