I don’t play many games on my phone, and hardly at all on the laptop. But one game I love to dip into is Plants vs. Zombies 2. I love blowing up zombies, knocking their heads off or sending them skywards! So, scrolling through the emails that needed looking at, one absolutely jumped out at me:
Winning Guitar Trio & Original Creators Share Electrifying Mashup of “Crazy Dave’s Theme” (Plants vs. Zombies) & “Bad Guy.”
This one had to be for me.
Here is the press release –
GRAMMY® Award-winning guitar trio The String Revolution is celebrated for pushing the boundaries of guitar music through dynamic performances, genre-blending arrangements, and exceptional musicianship. 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 multi instrumentalist Cuban guitarist Rober Luis.
Together, the trio creates a distinctive sound that combines classical, rock, jazz, cinematic, and world-music influences. Through intricate melodies, rich harmonies, and virtuosic playing, The String Revolution has developed a global following and earned more than five million streams across its catalog.
The group first gained attention with its debut album, Stringborn, in 2016, followed by Red Drops in 2019. The latter featured the trio’s 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 such as “Rocket Man” and “Englishman in New York,” transforming familiar music into original instrumental experiences.
In 2024, the trio won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for its powerful reimagining of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” featuring legendary guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.
Continuing its tradition of fearless musical reinvention, The String Revolution will release “Bad Zombies” through Lakeshore Records. Conceived by producer and EA music executive Steve Schnur, the track combines the theme from the popular video game Plants vs. Zombies, composed by Laura Shigihara, with Billie Eilish’s global hit “Bad Guy.”
Schnur brought the idea to the trio after sharing that Billie Eilish and Finneas had been influenced by the Plants vs. Zombies theme while creating “Bad Guy.” Working alongside Schnur and co-producer Darrell Brown, The String Revolution developed the concept into an entirely new arrangement featuring internationally acclaimed cellist Tina Guo. The recording also includes original classical-inspired sections created by the band in the studio, making “Bad Zombies” more than a traditional mashup—it is a bold new interpretation of both compositions.
With their collaborative spirit, diverse musical backgrounds, and endlessly inventive approach to arranging, The String Revolution continues to redefine what guitar music can be while inspiring audiences around the world.”
Tina Guo
My review:
The single was released August 14, so is out on all platforms now.
I genuinely love it when I am sent some music, open it up for a listen and am surprised, in a nice way. This is one of those times. “Bad Zombies” is an instrumental with more layers than an onion.
It is Old West saloon, a lonely street, a creepy old house inhabited by a forest witch. I played it back-to-back while doing the review because it is quite immersive, and at 0:33 it suddenly kicks into a groove. At 1:44 it slips into a cinematic mode, slightly creepy, but the melodies remain uplifting.
Keeping the spider analogy, rather than falling down the water spout, this spider is climbing up it. There is something slightly sinister lurking around the edges of the music, but ultimately it is playful and uplifting. I liked this listen very much — it was thoroughly pleasurable.
Can I also recommend “An Englishman in New York”? I completely relaxed into this version of Sting’s tribute to Quentin Crisp. It is funny because, although this is instrumental only, I found myself saying the words in my head, and I loved how they had these little funky touches, imaginatively taking me through the world of the song in perfect harmony.
The String Revolution clearly have fun taking familiar music apart and rebuilding it into something entirely their own — and “Bad Zombies” is a wonderfully strange place to start. If, like me, you enjoy music that can surprise you, this is well worth a listen.
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Stream music from The String Revolution here
“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
Engineer-Lynn Earls
Harper Studios – Nashville, TN
Engineer- Zach Allen
Guitar: Janet Robin
Guitar: Markus Illko
Guitar: Rober Luis Rodriguez
Cello: Tina Guo
Piano Percussion: Rober Luis Rodriguez
Jake Boring- Saxophones
Hal Rosenfeld- Percussion
Bass: Dwayne “DW” Wright
Programming- Andrew Kawczynski
By Stevie Ritson
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