Article Contributed by Leighton Media
Published on 2026-08-14
GRAMMY®-winning guitar trio The String Revolution has released “Bad Zombies,” an electrifying mashup of “Crazy Dave’s Theme” from Plants vs. Zombies and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” featuring world-renowned cellist Tina Guo.
“Bad Zombies” is an inventive reimagining that brings together music written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell with Laura Shigihara’s Plants vs. Zombies theme, alongside contributions from The String Revolution’s Janet Robin, Markus Illko and Rober Luis Rodriguez. The trio enlisted Tina Guo as a featured performer for the collaboration.
The track was produced by Steve Schnur, Darrell Brown and The String Revolution, mixed by Alan Meyerson and mastered by Howie Weinberg. Recording took place at The Village Studios in Los Angeles and Harper Studios in Nashville. The performance features Janet Robin, Markus Illko and Rober Luis Rodriguez on guitar, Tina Guo on cello, Jake Boring on saxophones, Hal Rosenfeld on percussion, Dwayne “DW” Wright on bass and Andrew Kawczynski on programming.
The String Revolution is known for pushing the boundaries of guitar music through genre-blending arrangements and dynamic performances. The ensemble features Janet Robin, a former student of Randy Rhoads and touring guitarist for Lindsey Buckingham, Meredith Brooks and Air Supply, alongside award-winning Austrian guitarist and composer Markus Illko and acclaimed Cuban multi-instrumentalist and guitarist Rober Luis. Together, the trio draws from classical, rock, jazz, cinematic and world-music influences.
The group first gained attention with its 2016 debut album, Stringborn, followed by Red Drops in 2019. The latter featured an inventive interpretation of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which reached Spotify’s Los Angeles Instrumental Top 10. The String Revolution has since become known for reimagining iconic songs including “Rocket Man” and “Englishman in New York.”
In 2024, the trio won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for its reimagining of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” featuring Tommy Emmanuel.
“Bad Zombies” continues that tradition of musical reinvention. Conceived by producer and EA music executive Steve Schnur, the track combines Laura Shigihara’s Plants vs. Zombies theme with Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.” Schnur brought the idea to the trio after sharing that Eilish and Finneas had been influenced by the Plants vs. Zombies theme while creating “Bad Guy.” Working with Schnur and co-producer Darrell Brown, The String Revolution developed the concept into an entirely new arrangement featuring Guo, along with original classical-inspired sections created in the studio.
Guo is a GRAMMY and BRIT Female Artist of the Year nominee known for her work as a cellist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and entrepreneur. Her extensive film, television and video-game credits include Dune, Dune 2, Top Gun: Maverick, Gran Turismo, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. She also co-composed the main theme for Wonder Woman with Hans Zimmer.
With “Bad Zombies,” The String Revolution continues its collaborative, genre-fluid approach while offering a new interpretation of two instantly recognizable pieces of music.
“Bad Zombies” Credits
Written by: Laura Shigihara, Billie Eilish O'Connell, Finneas Baird O'Connell, Janet Robin, Markus Illko, Rober Luis
Arranged by: Janet Robin, Markus Illko, Rober Luis, Tina Guo, Darrell Brown, Steve Schnur, Billie Eilish O'Connell, Finneas Baird O'Connell
Produced by: Steve Schnur, Darrell Brown, The String Revolution
Mixed by: Alan Meyerson
Mastering: Howie Weinberg
Recorded at: The Village Studios — Los Angeles, CA; Harper Studios — Nashville, TN
Guitar: Janet Robin, Markus Illko, Rober Luis Rodriguez
Cello: Tina Guo
Piano Percussion: Rober Luis Rodriguez
Saxophones: Jake Boring
Percussion: Hal Rosenfeld
Bass: Dwayne “DW” Wright
Programming: Andrew Kawczynski
