With Youtube, Spotify, and Tumblr, the train of popular music and famous artists moves so quickly that bands with little to no fan base can become famous in moments and can lose the attention in an even shorter time as the next band rises to stardom. The variety of musicians currently vying for attention is so large it is hard to keep up with what is currently popular and what has been. Events like Coachella and Firefly serve to select these top upcoming bands and bring them to the forefront, but even still, with a lineup of over 100 performers, it is impossible to know them all. One band popular among a growing fan base, stand outs amongst the rest. Twenty-One Pilots is slowly becoming famous for its widely varying, yet completely unconventional music. However, they still have a way to go, and like most people, Caroline Grover ’14 says, “I’ve heard of them, but I don’t really know any of their songs.” Currently, this is the common response, but undoubtedly within the next few months this band will skyrocket into the public light!

Twenty-One Pilots made their public debut with the single “Holding On To You” in November of 2012, reaching number ten in the US Alternative Charts. They followed their success with three more singles in 2013, the latest and most popular of which is titled “House of Gold.” Though both singles are their most famous, the difference in the style of music makes it difficult for anyone to recognize that they were performed by the same group. This very facet is one of the things that makes Twenty-One Pilots so popular among their fans; their diverse music means that all of their songs are excellent in unpredictable ways. Some songs, like “Car Radio” and “Ode to Sleep” feature rap verses, while “Semi-Automatic” and “Fake You Out” boast more of an electronic feel. Maya Johnson ’16 agrees: “I can’t chose a favorite song because they’re all so different! There’s one for every mood.” Unable to decide upon one single genre of music they fit into, some fans have settled upon labeling Twenty-One Pilots as “schizophrenic pop,” meaning that several different influences are present in their music. Within a single album, there is music to meet every persons’ taste!

While Twenty-One Pilots creates exciting songs, the band itself also stars two very interesting people who feed all of their moral puzzlement into their music. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, the two people that make up this band, are college friends from Ohio who decided to venture into the music industry and make this incredible music. Though there is not much to share about their personal lives, Tyler readily explained that the title of the group came from a play written by Arthur Miller, titled “All My Sons.” The play centers on a plane manufacturer in need of money to support his family who makes the moral decision to sell defective parts resulting in the death of 21 pilots, including his son. Tyler, while consumed with the abstract moral qualities of life, likes to view this play as a symbol of the “moral crossroads” all humans face. When asked why this theme was significant, he replied, “We want to make people think”. A quick listen to any of Twenty-One Pilots’ three albums can defend this statement because all of the lyrics are generally thought provoking, only serving to make the music more exciting. Don’t worry though; none of the music gets into a Theory of Knowledge level! Twenty-One Pilots’ music seeks to arouse the mind just as Joseph and Dun question their own moral principles.

Fortunately for any local fans of Twenty-One Pilots, they will be making their way back to Delaware this summer to perform at Firefly 2014! Having been well reviewed as lively and upbeat performers on stage by those who attended one of their tours across the world, they’ll easily be one of the most memorable acts. Quinn McNeill ’14 readily agreed: “I am so excited to see them! I saw them last year at Firefly, and they were absolutely amazing live!” Their latest album, Vessel, is also available to buy and features their most popular singles including those from the previous album. So whether you want to experience a whole new genre of music, or just hear what everyone is talking about, give this new band a listen.