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#ComingUp: The String Revolution Resurrects "Bad Guy" With "Bad Zombies"

Writer: Charles Luberisse
Charles Luberisse
11 minutes ago
2 min read

Written By: Big C

Who knew a garden full of zombies could share musical DNA with one of pop's most recognizable basslines? The String Revolution digs into the unlikely connection with Bad Zombies. It's an instrumental collaboration featuring acclaimed cellist Tina Guo, which brings Crazy Dave's Theme from Plants vs. Zombies face-to-face with Billie Eilish's bad guy. What could have easily become a novelty mashup instead presents an interesting exercise in composition. The original game's playful musical identity contrasts with the economical, repetitive tension associated with Eilish and FINNEAS, Giving the guitar trio an intriguing foundation to rearrange, they demonstrate how familiar melodic ideas can be reinterpreted through changes in instrumentation, harmony, and rhythmic character. Steve Schnur, President of Music at EA, recognized that relationship and initiated the collaboration, with Eilish and FINNEAS contributing to the arrangement's development.


Since their debut EP, Stringborn, and subsequent release Red Drops, the trio has approached recognizable material as an invitation to investigate its underlying musical structure. Produced by Schnur, Darrell Brown, and The String Revolution, then mixed by Alan Meyerson, "Bad Zombies" makes a compelling case for the arranger as both musical architect and storyteller, someone capable of discovering new possibilities inside compositions listeners thought they already knew. The musicians behind that experiment have spent years testing the elasticity of familiar melodies. Janet Robin, a former student of Randy Rhoads, brings decades of performance experience, while Austrian guitarist Markus Illko contributes his compositional background and nylon-string technique alongside Cuban-born multi-instrumentalist Rober Luis, whose rhythmic vocabulary adds another dimension to the ensemble. Listen to the "Bad Zombies" on Apple Music and Spotify. Follow The String Revolution on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.



 
 
 

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