The band Twenty One Pilots was formed in 2009. Tyler Joseph founded the group in Columbus, Ohio, with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, before the lineup later became the duo of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun.
Joseph and Thomas had known each other through school and music, while Joseph met Salih through the Columbus music scene. The original trio developed a hybrid sound combining alternative rock, hip-hop, electropop, and piano-driven songwriting. Their independent debut album, Twenty One Pilots, was released in December 2009.
Thomas and Salih left the band in 2011, and Josh Dun joined Joseph. The new lineup released Regional at Best in 2011 and signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut, Vessel, followed in 2013, helping establish the band's distinctive blend of genres and theatrical presentation.
The group achieved major international success with Blurryface in 2015, especially through the singles “Stressed Out” and “Ride.” A common mix-up is treating 2011 as the formation date; that was the year the original members departed and the Joseph–Dun lineup took shape, while the band itself began in 2009.