But Tyler, wearing a bright yellow jacket despite the solemn mood, can’t seem to rid himself of the anxious expression on his face. Dressed in black, save for a dark-blue beanie covering his newly buzzed haircut, Josh is the marginally calmer of the two, spending time away from K!’s photoshoot in conversation with his girlfriend, Debby. On any other day, the pair would typically be heard finishing each other’s sentences, laughing at in-jokes, and generally making the more mundane aspects of being in a band look as fun as playing onstage. It’s two hours before showtime at their feverishly anticipated live comeback at London’s O2 Academy Brixton – their first gig in some 444 days – and they simply can’t relax. There’s visible tension in their bodies a sense of apprehension in their eyes. When K! first catch up with twenty one pilots to find out about their most ambitious venture yet, the duo are not quite themselves. And though Josh was initially startled by the concept, it wasn’t long before he found himself on board. Now, the time had finally come to introduce it to the world. Truth be told, Tyler had secretly been thinking up the Trench storyline years before his getaway. “It was like he ate a wrong berry or something,” the drummer jokes to Kerrang! today, as his bandmate bursts out laughing next to him.

Josh absorbed this barrage of information and thought, “ What have you gotten yourself into?!”

This far-reaching yet intricate narrative, Tyler explained, was to become twenty one pilots’ next album.

Josh listened as the 29-year-old detailed Trench: a world where nine dictatorial bishops keep the inhabitants (Tyler included) of a fictional place named Dema from escaping its controlling clutches, with the help of the Banditos – a rebel organisation (featuring Josh). Tyler had subsequently gone on a beach holiday with his family, but he couldn’t resist ringing his best friend to let him know what was on his mind. It was a few days after twenty one pilots had wrapped up their spectacular five-night Tour De Columbus, the final shows on 2015 LP Blurryface’s touring cycle. Last summer, Tyler Joseph phoned Josh Dun with an unusual topic to discuss.

21 pilots ride 10 hours