On Tuesday, February 18th, Johnny Marr joined Billie Eilish, Finneas, and Hans Zimmer to perform the live-debut of the new James Bond theme "No Time To Die."
Marr and Zimmer collaborated for the music on the 25th installment in the James Bond film series, No Time To Die, which will hit theaters on April 2nd, 2020 in the UK and April 10th in the US. Johnny Marr has also scored the films The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), The Big Bang (2011), and Freeheld (2015).
NME caught up with Marr on the red carpet before he hit the stage to discuss working on the film's music and working with Eilish, the youngest artist to ever sing a James Bond title song.
"When I was asked to do it I was thrilled because growing up as a British boy in the late '60s, '70s, and '80s and all of that, to me the Bond theme should have guitar on it," he said. "The sound of it, to me, is the guitar riff."
In another interview, Marr reveals that he's been to a few of Eilish's shows. This news is especially exciting for anyone who recalls the hate the singer received last November from a Jimmy Kimmel interview that revealed she didn't know who Van Halen was.
"Classic" rock fans stormed Twitter claiming it was disrespectful that Eilish didn't know music that came before her. But anyone who wants to get that worked up about music history would know Eilish and her contemporaries have taken more influence from Marr and The Smiths than Van Halen.
However, Eilish was too busy collaborating with the legendary Johnny Marr on the new James Bond theme to care, but Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, ended all the noise with one tweet.
In the live performance Marr plays guitar on top of Zimmer's orchestra and Finneas' piano, while Eilish delivers her restrained, yet emotional vocal stylings.
Check out the live performance and Johnny Marr's interview with NME below.
Photo: Getty Images