“Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella”
“Bad Zombies”
The String Revolution
featuring
Arrangers
Listen Here
Lakeshore Records Released by Lakeshore Records & EA Games
The Track
An unexpected collision of video-game music, pop, classical, virtuosic guitar and cello.
The String Revolution — Markus Illko · Janet Robin · Rober Luis
“Bad Zombies” is the new single from GRAMMY®-winning guitar trio The String Revolution, featuring internationally acclaimed cellist Tina Guo, and released by Lakeshore Records and EA Games. The track reimagines the Plants vs. Zombies theme alongside Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” -a natural musical connection, as Billie Eilish and FINNEAS grew up playing the game and its music helped inspire their hit song.
Produced by Steve Schnur, Darrell Brown, and The String Revolution, and mixed by renowned film-score mixer Alan Meyerson, “Bad Zombies” goes far beyond a traditional mashup. The trio created an entirely new instrumental arrangement, adding original classical-inspired sections and cinematic twists that bring both songs into a completely new world. Billie Eilish and FINNEAS are also credited as arrangers alongside The String Revolution, making “Bad Zombies” an unexpected collision of video-game music, pop, classical, virtuosic guitar, and cello.
Featuring internationally acclaimed cellist Tina Guo — acoustic instruments assuming an almost cinematic intensity.Featured Performer · Cello · Arranger
Editorial Recognition
Apple Music Editorial
Press
What people are saying:
“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.”
Rock the Joint Magazine, UK
“The String Revolution have teamed up with powerhouse cellist Tina Guo for “Bad Zombies,” a wonderfully bizarre instrumental collision of “Crazy Dave’s Theme” from Plants vs. Zombies and Billie Eilish’s “bad guy.” And if that sentence sounds like somebody picked four things out of a hat, just wait until you hear how ridiculously well they fit together.”
One West Magazine
“Bad Zombies” pushes instincts into particularly unconventional territory. What could easily have been an amusing cultural curiosity instead becomes a thoughtful study in musical influence, reinterpretation and genre permeability. Classical technique meets contemporary pop minimalism; video-game nostalgia encounters concert-level musicianship; acoustic instruments assume an almost cinematic intensity. Recorded at The Village Studios in Los Angeles and mixed by Alan Meyerson, the track is remarkably tactile. Strings snap, pulse and swell; melodies dart between instruments; moments of restraint give way to flashes of virtuosity.”
rockdafuqout.com
“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 Grateful Web
Credits
“Bad Zombies”
The String Revolution, featuring Tina Guo
Performed by
- Markus Illko: Nylon String Guitar, Piano
- Rober Luis: Steel String Guitar, Piano Percussion
- Janet Robin: Steel String Guitar
- Cello: Tina Guo
- Bass Guitar: Dwayne “DW” Wright
- Programming: Andrew Kawczynski
- Jake Boring: Saxophone
- Hal Rosenfeld: Percussion
Produced by
- Steve Schnur
- The String Revolution
- Darrell Brown
Recorded
- June 2024–October 2025
- The Village Studios, Los Angeles, CAEngineer: Lynn Earls
- Harper Studios, Brentwood, TNEngineer: Zach Allen
- Mixed by: Alan Meyerson
- Mastering: Howie Weinberg & Will Borza
Record Label
- Lakeshore Records
- President and Project ManagerBrian McNelis
- Head of A&R and ProductionEric Craig
- Head of Art Direction and Senior DesignerJohn Bergin
- Production CoordinatorJames Rokas
- Licensing ManagerErica Pope
Management
Damon Vonn, Culture Management, Los Angeles, CA.
Arranged by
- Darrell Brown
- Tina Guo
- Markus Illko
- Rober Luis
- Billie Eilish O’Connell
- FINNEAS Baird O’Connell
- Janet Robin
- Steve Schnur
Written by
- Markus Illko
- Rober Luis
- Billie Eilish O’Connell
- FINNEAS Baird O’Connell
- Janet Robin
- Laura Shigihara