Josh Dun
- Alternative hip hop
- indie pop
- alternative rock
- electropop
- rap rock
- pop rock
- Drums
- percussion
- trumpet
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph,[1][2][3] but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, of which he has won one.
Early life
Joshua William Dun was born in Columbus, Ohio, on June 18, 1988,[4][5] the son of hospice social worker Laura Lee Dun (née McCollum) and physical therapy assistant William Earl "Bill" Dun. He has two sisters and a brother.[6] His great-great-great-grandparents were the American rancher Edwin Dun, who was the United States Ambassador to Japan, and his second Japanese wife, Yama.[7]
He initially took trumpet lessons at school and then turned his attention to drums, teaching himself how to play.[8] One method Dun references was imitating the beats of the records he'd buy on an electronic drum kit.[9]
He worked at Guitar Center for three years, where he met former Twenty One Pilots drummer Chris Salih, who eventually introduced him to his future bandmate Tyler Joseph.[10][11]
Career
2010: House of Heroes
In March 2010, Dun joined House of Heroes after the band's drummer, Colin Rigsby, took a break to spend more time with his family.[12] He makes an appearance in the music video for the band's single "God Save the Foolish Kings."[13] He performed on House of Heroes' live tour until October, when Rigsby returned to his duties.[14]
After quitting his job at Guitar Center, Dun planned to leave for Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a drum career in the industry; however, he was stopped by Twenty One Pilots drummer Chris Salih, who offered him his role.[15] He went on to play a show with Tyler Joseph after Salih and bassist Nick Thomas left the group due to other commitments. They played one song before police officers showed up and cancelled the show.[11] Dun subsequently became the band's full-time drummer,[5] joining as production on the band's second studio album Regional at Best drew to a close. The album was released on July 8, 2011, shortly after Dun's recruitment. Although he does not perform on the album, he is credited in the liner notes.
2011–present: Twenty One Pilots
In April 2012, Twenty One Pilots signed with record label Fueled by Ramen, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records in April 2012.[5] Twenty One Pilots' third studio album, Vessel, was released on January 8, 2013, through Fueled by Ramen and reached no. 21 on the Billboard 200.[16]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Twenty_One_Pilots_2016_%287_von_8%29.jpg/210px-Twenty_One_Pilots_2016_%287_von_8%29.jpg)
The band's fourth studio album, Blurryface, was released on May 17, 2015, two days ahead of its intended release date.[17] At this point in Twenty One Pilots' career, the band had topped the charts with their hit single "Stressed Out"–the song's music video being filmed at Dun's childhood home—and has since received over 2.8 billion views on YouTube.[18]
Their fifth studio album, Trench, was released on October 5, 2018. The album was the first release of the newly revived Elektra Music Group.[19]
On April 9, 2020, the duo released a new single "Level of Concern".[20][21] The accompanying music video for the track was filmed in both Joseph and Dun's respective homes while they were under lockdown due to the U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22] On December 8, 2020, Twenty One Pilots released a Christmas song, titled "Christmas Saves the Year", during a Twitch livestream hosted by Tyler Joseph.[23][24][25] The duo's sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy, was released on May 21, 2021.[26][27][28]
The duo's seventh studio album, Clancy, was set to release on May 17, 2024, nine years after the release of their breakthrough album Blurryface,[25][29] but was delayed for one week to May 24 while Dun, Joseph and videographer Mark Eshleman completed music videos for each song.[30] The lead single for the album, "Overcompensate", released on February 29, 2024. In Dun's directorial debut, he directed the music video for the album's third single, "Backslide", which was released on April 25, 2024.[31][32]
Other ventures
In 2017, Dun partnered with Hayley Williams of pop punk band Paramore to promote her hair dye line "Good Dye Young".[33]
Influences
At the age of 13, Dun developed an interest in punk music, initially seeking "the fastest punk rock that he could find."[34] He mainly listened to punk rock when he was growing up.[35] He cites ...And Out Come the Wolves by Rancid as an early influence due to its combination of different music genres.[34] Some of his earliest purchases were an album by NOFX, and Human Clay by Creed, citing "Higher" as one of his favorite songs.[36] Afterward, he branched into pop punk music, citing Does This Look Infected? by Sum 41, as well as Blink-182.[36] When learning drums, Dun would play along to Metallica.[34] However, his parents set strict rules on what music he could listen to, about which he later said, "I'd hide albums like Green Day's Dookie underneath my bed. Sometimes they'd find them and get real mad. They'd find a Christian alternative, like Relient K, and make me listen to that."[37] Later, Dun transitioned to slower alternative rock, with albums like Daisy by Brand New.[34]
He initially took trumpet lessons at school and then turned his attention to drums, teaching himself how to play.[8] One method Dun references was imitating the beats of the records he'd buy on an electronic drum kit.[9] Since a young age, Dun has ultimately sought to "blend" genres and make diverse music.[38]
Personal life
Dun and Twenty One Pilots bandmate Tyler Joseph both have an "X" tattoo on their body symbolizing their dedication to their hometown fans in Columbus, Ohio. They received it onstage during their hometown show at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on April 26, 2013.[39] Joseph's is placed on his right bicep, and Dun's is located on his neck just behind his right ear. Dun also sports the name "Tyler" above his left knee.[40] They are both fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes.[41]
Dun dated actress and singer Debby Ryan from May 2013 to September 2014.[42][43] They resumed their relationship sometime after.[44] They were married in Austin, Texas, on December 31, 2019.[45] The two are longtime fans of the Fast & Furious franchise[46] and went on to make a cameo appearance in Fast X.[47][48]
Dun and Ryan currently live in Columbus, Ohio.[49][50] In March 2023, magazine Architectural Digest released a documentary about their home.[51] The pair commissioned Dun's brother's girlfriend to sculpt a bust of Dwayne Johnson. Being an avid boxer,[52] Dun also assembled a boxing ring in his basement.[53] In May 2023, instrument retailer Sweetwater filmed a documentary about the construction of Dun's home studio. The studio was designed by Haverstick Designs, the same firm that designed bandmate Tyler Joseph's home studio.[54][55]
Dun has proclaimed that he is a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement.[56]
Discography
Studio albums
with House of Heroes
- Suburba[a] (2010)
with Twenty One Pilots
- Regional at Best (2011)
- Vessel (2013)
- Blurryface (2015)
- Trench (2018)
- Scaled and Icy (2021)
- Clancy (2024)
with other artists
Year | Song | Album | Artist | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | "Midnight Heart" | x Infinity | George Watsky | Dun has a cameo appearance in the music video.[57][58] |
2017 | "Savage" "Almost Had Me" | Skin and Earth | Lights | [59] |
2017 | "Orthodontist Girl" | The Knife | Goldfinger | [60] |
2018 | A Picture Perfect Hollywood Heartbreak | Zach Callison | Dun performs the drums on all tracks on the album. | |
2020 | "Dark Times" | I'd Rather Die Than Let You In | The Hunna | [61] |
2020 | "Happy Face" | 33 | Jagwar Twin | The song was released on December 21, 2020, and features Dun on drums and trumpet.[62][63] |
2020 | "The MegaMix Drum Cover" | Josh Dun, Matt McGuire | [64][65] | |
2022 | "In My Head" | Pep | Lights | The song was released in March.[66] |
2023 | "Great Time to Be Human" | TBA | Jagwar Twin |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | This is Wavorly. | Jaime | Web-series by Mississippi rock band Wavorly. Episode 2: "Jaime is Dun"[67] |
2022 | Twenty One Pilots: Cinema Experience | Himself | [68] |
2023 | Fast X | Himself | Cameo[69] |
Awards and nominations
Year | Ceremony | Award | Nominated | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Alternative Press Music Awards | Best Drummer | Josh Dun | Nominated | [70] |
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots Release New Single "Fairly Local"". samusicscene.co.za. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- ^ "INTERVIEW: Twenty One Pilots". XXIV Magazine. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (May 27, 2015), "Twenty One Pilots Tops Chart With 'Blurryface'", The New York Times, retrieved April 20, 2016
- ^ "Happy Birthday Josh Dun!". Fueled by Ramen. June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ a b c "With debut album set for release, Columbus duo Twenty One Pilots poised to break out". The Columbus Dispatch. October 18, 2012. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ "Billboard Cover: Twenty One Pilots on Their Musical Bromance and Fleeting Fame -- 'It's Going to Go Away'". Billboard. April 7, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ @joshuadun (July 23, 2012). "Leaving for Japan in the morning. This is my great great great grandfather Edwin Dun. ambassador to Japan. Him and his Japanese wife are responsible for any Asian looks I have". Retrieved April 29, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b Chamberlain, Rich (July 25, 2016). "Josh Dun on humble beginnings, hit records and the monster success of Twenty One Pilots". Retrieved March 17, 2017.
- ^ a b "Mass Attack: Interview with twenty one pilots". Ones to Watch. November 12, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ "Vessel: Chatting With Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph, Plus Reintroducing The Johnny Stallings Arts Program and Six Market Blvd". Huffington Post. January 14, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ a b "Interview: Twenty One Pilots, part 1". columbusalive.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
I worked at Guitar Center for three years, and the old drummer, I worked with him.
- ^ "House of Heroes Band Changes". Stereo Truth. March 3, 2010. Archived from the original on January 4, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ "God Save the Foolish Kings". House of Heroes music video on YouTube. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ^ "Colin's back!!! and the Suburba (n) Vagabonds Tour is coming soon!". House of Heroes' Facebook Page. October 10, 2010. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ "Founding Twenty One Pilots member Chris Salih opens up about band". altpress.com; Chris Salih interview. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Music, biography, Credits and Discography: AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ "SURPRISE! Twenty One Pilots Release "Blurryface" Early!". Radio 104.5. May 17, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^ Greene, Andy (January 14, 2016). "Twenty One Pilots: Inside the Biggest New Band of the Past Year". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- ^ "Elektra Music Group Marks Official Launch by Unveiling Remainder of Leadership Team – Warner Music Group Official Blog". Warner Music Group. October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "twenty one pilots - Level of Concern (Official Video)". YouTube.
- ^ Joseph, Tyler (April 8, 2020). "song and video tomorrow :pic.twitter.com/3uQLfqFTqJ". @tylerrjoseph. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ @tylerrjoseph (April 5, 2020). "Tweet by Tyler Joseph" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Campbell, Rachel (December 8, 2020). "Hear Twenty One Pilots' Surprise Holiday Song "Christmas Saves the Year"". Alternative Press. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots release holiday single, 'Christmas Saves The Year' | NME". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Campbell, Rachel (December 9, 2020). "Hear twenty one pilots' surprise holiday song "Christmas Saves The Year"". Alternative Press. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ "Clancy". dmaorg.info. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots: Shy Away". scaledandicy.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Rachel (April 7, 2021). "Twenty One Pilots Kick off 'Scaled and Icy' Era With "Shy Away"—Watch". AlternativePress. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 29, 2024). "Twenty One Pilots Announce Clancy Album, Drop Video for Booming "Overcompensate" Single". Billboard. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (April 23, 2024). "Twenty One Pilots Push 'Clancy' Release Date to Film Visual Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Carter, Emily (April 23, 2024). "twenty one pilots confirm next single and Josh Dun-directed video". Kerrang!. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Sam (April 25, 2024). "Twenty One Pilots have released a new self-directed video for 'Backslide'". Dork. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "WATCH: Josh Dun Joins Good Dye Young As A 'Brand Ambassador'". Pop Buzz. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Record Shopping With Twenty One Pilots' Josh Dun". YouTube. Rock Sound. August 19, 2013.
[Rancid was] one of the first records I listened to that was such a mixture of music between punk and hip-hop and different genres crossing that I had never heard before. ... One of the first albums that I was introduced to was NOFX, which is—as far as I listen to—as punk as you can get. ... That would branch to pop-punk music. [Does This Look Infected?], I would listen to all the time, when it came out.
- ^ SJC Artist Profile - Joshua Dun - Twenty One Pilots, September 10, 2014, retrieved January 28, 2017
- ^ a b "Twenty One Pilots: On The Record". Audacity International. May 25, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ Greene, Andy (January 14, 2016), Twenty One Pilots: Inside the Biggest New Band of the Past Year, Rolling Stone, archived from the original on January 19, 2016, retrieved April 21, 2016
- ^ "Record Shopping With Twenty One Pilots' Josh Dun". YouTube. Rock Sound. August 19, 2013.
I always wanted my music that I listen to to be really diverse, so that when I play, hopefully it'd be diverse. But starting out, for some reason, I was really attracted to the fastest punk rock that I could find. ... I've always, ever since I was a kid, wanted to take all different genres of music and kind of put them in blender. And, that's kind of what it is that I wanted to be a part of. So, listening to some bands that started to take different genres and mash them up—and then mash those bands up—is kind of what I envision doing.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots Show Off Their Favorite Tattoos". MTV.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots Tattoo Their Names on Each Other". October 31, 2015. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ Harrington, Joe. "'We made it mom': Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun dreams of being a part of Ohio State Band". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
- ^ "Debby Ryan Instagram: 'Jessie' Star and Boyfriend Josh Dun Named Hot, Young Couple of 2014?". Fashion & Style. March 28, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ "Debby Ryan's New Year's Eve Kiss With Boyfriend Joshua Dun". Disney Dreaming. January 3, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ Baumgartner, Scott (December 22, 2018). "Debby Ryan Got Engaged To Boyfriend Josh Dun". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ Macon, Alexandra (May 21, 2020). "Actress Debby Ryan and Twenty One Pilots' Joshua Dun Planned Their Whirlwind Austin Wedding in Just 28 Days". Vogue. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Macon, Alexandra (May 21, 2020). "Actress Debby Ryan and Twenty One Pilots' Joshua Dun Planned Their Whirlwind Austin Wedding in Just 28 Days". Vogue.
- ^ Wilson-Taylor, James (March 19, 2023). "Twenty One Pilots' Josh Dun Is In The New 'Fast X' Movie". Rock Sound.
- ^ Carter, Emily (March 19, 2023). "twenty one pilots' Josh Dun has a cameo in the new Fast & Furious film". Kerrang!.
- ^ Martin, Hannah (March 21, 2023). "Inside Debby Ryan and Josh Dun's Treehouse Fantasy Home in Columbus, Ohio". Architectural Digest.
- ^ "Josh Dun and Debbie Ryan's Columbus home featured in Architectural Digest". www.dispatch.com.
- ^ "Inside Debby Ryan & Josh Dun's Fascinating Ohio Home - Open Door". YouTube. Architectural Digest. March 21, 2023.
- ^ "Josh Dun Boxing Training". Alternative Press. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Reichard, Rya (March 23, 2023). "Debby Ryan and Josh Dun Have a Fancy Bust of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in Their Home". Pop Crush.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots' Drummer, Josh Dun's Epic Home Studio Tour". YouTube. Sweetwater. May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Josh Dun's Studio Tour - Twenty One Pilots". YouTube. Haverstick Designs. May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Josh Dun on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots' Josh Dun Features On A New Watsky Song - News - Rock Sound Magazine". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ "Can You Spot Josh Dun In This New Hip Hop Video?". Pop Buzz. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- ^ "Lights reveals how that Josh Dun collaboration came together". Alt Press. October 5, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ The Knife - Goldfinger | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved July 29, 2021
- ^ "Josh Dun, The Hunna". Twitter.
- ^ Jonah (December 21, 2020). "Jagwar Twin Performing at WRRV Sessions August 18th!". WRRV.
- ^ Kelly, Pete (August 29, 2022). "Jagwar Twin on working with Josh Dun, fighting Mike Tyson, Happy Face, NFTs and more!". YouTube.
- ^ "Josh Dun - twenty one pilots - Interview - Thomann". YouTube. Thomann's Drum Bash. September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Josh Dun & Matt McGuire - The MegaMix Drum Cover". YouTube. Matt McGuire. November 8, 2020.
- ^ In My Head feat. Josh Dun. Retrieved March 17, 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "This is Wavorly. Episode 2: "Jaime is Dun"". YouTube. wavorlyTV. August 24, 2013. |
- ^ "Twenty One Pilots: Cinema Experience", The Numbers, retrieved May 26, 2022
- ^ Goffe, Nadira (May 18, 2023). "Fast X Furious Cameos and Post-Credits". Slate. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "The AP Music Awards - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
External links
- Josh Dun on Twitter
- Josh Dun at IMDb
- v
- t
- e
- Tyler Joseph
- Josh Dun
- Twenty One Pilots
- Regional at Best
- Vessel
- Blurryface
- Trench
- Scaled and Icy
- Clancy
- "Holding On to You"
- "Guns for Hands"
- "Lovely"
- "House of Gold"
- "Fake You Out"
- "Car Radio"
- "Fairly Local"
- "Tear in My Heart"
- "Stressed Out"
- "Lane Boy"
- "Ride"
- "Heathens"
- "Heavydirtysoul"
- "Jumpsuit"
- "Nico and the Niners"
- "Levitate"
- "My Blood"
- "Chlorine"
- "The Hype"
- "Level of Concern"
- "Christmas Saves the Year"
- "Shy Away"
- "Choker"
- "Saturday"
- "The Outside"
- "Overcompensate"
- "Next Semester"
- "Backslide"
- "The Craving"
- "Ode to Sleep"
- "We Don't Believe What's on TV"
- "Cancer"
- "Morph"
- "Johnny Boy"
- "The Judge"
- "Neon Gravestones"
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