Josh Dun

Lore & Background

Josh Dun's path to Twenty One Pilots began at a Guitar Center, where he worked for three years and met former drummer Chris Salih. After quitting his job, Dun planned to move to Nashville to pursue a drum career, but Salih stopped him and offered his role in the band. At his first show with Tyler Joseph, the two played one song before police officers arrived and cancelled it. He then became the band's full-time drummer as production on Regional at Best drew to a close. Though he does not perform on that album, he is credited in the liner notes. The duo signed with Fueled by Ramen in April 2012. Their album Blurryface (2015) topped charts with "Stressed Out," whose music video was filmed at Dun's childhood home and has since received over 3 billion YouTube views. Dun has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and won one.

Reader's Guide

Josh Dun is the drummer of Twenty One Pilots, joining in 2011 after Chris Salih left. He does not perform on Regional at Best (2011) but is credited in the liner notes. He performs on Vessel (2013), Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), Scaled and Icy (2021), Clancy (2024), and Breach (2025). He initially took trumpet lessons at school, then taught himself drums by imitating beats from records on an electronic kit.

He worked at Guitar Center for three years. In 2017, he partnered with Hayley Williams to promote her hair dye line "Good Dye Young" as a brand ambassador. In 2025, he created his own YouTube channel, where he has uploaded drum covers of songs from bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Lagwagon, and Turnstile. He and Tyler Joseph both have an "X" tattoo symbolizing dedication to Columbus fans, received onstage at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on April 26, 2013.

Dun's is located on his neck just behind his right ear. He also sports the name "Tyler" above his left knee, received from Joseph onstage at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee on October 30, 2015. Dun dated Debby Ryan from May 2013 to September 2014; they resumed their relationship and married in Austin, Texas, on December 31, 2019. They live in Columbus, Ohio.

On September 7, 2025, they announced they are expecting their first child; on December 13, 2025, they announced the birth of their daughter.

Roots and the Road to the Drum Kit

Joshua William Dun was born in Columbus, Ohio, on June 18, 1988, the son of hospice social worker Laura Lee Dun and physical therapy assistant William Earl "Bill" Dun. He has two sisters and a brother. His great-great-great-grandparents were American rancher Edwin Dun, who was the United States Ambassador to Japan, and his second Japanese wife, Yama. Dun initially took trumpet lessons at school, then turned his attention to drums, teaching himself how to play. One method he references was imitating the beats of records he would buy on an electronic drum kit. 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.

From a Cancelled Show to Global Headlines

After quitting his job at Guitar Center, Dun planned to leave for Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a drum career, but was stopped by Chris Salih, who offered him his role. He and Tyler Joseph played one song before police officers cancelled the show. Dun became the band's full-time drummer as production on Regional at Best drew to a close. The album was released on July 8, 2011; though he does not perform on it, he is credited in the liner notes.

In April 2012, Twenty One Pilots signed with Fueled by Ramen. Vessel was released on January 8, 2013, reaching no. 21 on the Billboard 200. Blurryface was released on May 17, 2015, two days early. The music video for "Stressed Out" was filmed at Dun's childhood home and has since received over 3 billion YouTube views.

Trench was released on October 5, 2018, as the first release of the revived Elektra Music Group. Scaled and Icy was released on May 21, 2021. Clancy was initially set for release on May 17, 2024, but was delayed a week while Dun, Joseph, and videographer Mark Eshleman completed music videos for each song. Breach was released on September 12, 2025, concluding the conceptual series that began with Blurryface. As part of Twenty One Pilots, Dun has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has won one.

A Sound Forged in Genre Hopping

At age 13, Dun developed an interest in punk music, initially seeking "the fastest punk rock that he could find." He mainly listened to punk rock growing up. He cites ...And Out Come the Wolves by Rancid as an early influence due to its combination of different music genres. Some of his earliest purchases were an album by NOFX and Human Clay by Creed, citing "Higher" as one of his favorite songs.

He branched into pop punk, citing Does This Look Infected? by Sum 41 and Blink-182. When learning drums, he would play along to Metallica. His parents set strict rules on what music he could listen to; 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." Later, he transitioned to slower alternative rock, with albums like Daisy by Brand New. Since a young age, Dun has ultimately sought to "blend" genres and make diverse music.

Life Beyond the Kit

Dun and Tyler Joseph both have an "X" tattoo symbolizing dedication to their hometown fans in Columbus, Ohio, received onstage at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion on April 26, 2013. Dun's is located on his neck just behind his right ear. He also sports the name "Tyler" above his left knee, received from Joseph onstage at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee on October 30, 2015. Both are fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Dun's favorite film is Fight Club (1999). He dated Debby Ryan from May 2013 to September 2014; they resumed their relationship and married in Austin, Texas, on December 31, 2019. They are longtime fans of the Fast & Furious franchise and made a cameo appearance in Fast X. They live in Columbus, Ohio. In March 2023, Architectural Digest released a documentary about their home.

In May 2023, Sweetwater filmed a documentary about the construction of Dun's home studio, designed by Haverstick Designs. Dun has proclaimed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. On September 7, 2025, Dun and Ryan announced they are expecting their first child; on December 13, 2025, they announced the birth of their daughter. In 2017, Dun partnered with Hayley Williams to promote her hair dye line "Good Dye Young" as a brand ambassador.

In 2025, he created his own YouTube channel, where he has uploaded drum covers of songs from bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Lagwagon, and Turnstile. In his directorial debut, he directed the music video for "Backslide," released on April 25. On "Drum Show," released as a single on August 18, Dun contributed his first lead vocals to a song.