Laura Shigihara
BornUnited States
GenresJ-pop, indie pop, classical music, instrumental hip hop, soundtrack
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • composer
Instrument(s)
Websitelaurashigihara.com

Laura Shigihara (Japanese: 鴫原 ローラ, Hepburn: Shigihara Rōra) is a Japanese–American singer-songwriter, composer, video game developer, and Twitch streamer.[1] She is best known as the lead composer and sound designer for the tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies and the creator of the acclaimed indie RPG Rakuen.[2]

Shigihara has worked on over 30 other published video game titles including Deltarune, World of Warcraft, To the Moon, defuncted mobile game High School Story and the 5th Anniversary Edition of Super Meat Boy. She co-created the ending theme song for Minecraft: The Story of Mojang with C418 and worked together with Yasunori Mitsuda on the official Square Enix Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross 20th Anniversary Album.[3]

Early life

Born to a Japanese father and a French American mother,[4] Shigihara grew up in both the United States and Japan.[1][5] She was classically trained on the piano for 11 years and taught herself guitar and drums. While studying International Relations, Business and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley,[6] she was given an old version of Cakewalk (known as Sonar before 2018) which she used to start learning about mixing, arranging and production by recreating old video game soundtracks and composing her own songs. After a friend leaked her original material to record companies in Japan, Shigihara was offered record contracts as a singer there, but ended up turning them down for personal reasons.[7]

Career

Shortly after returning to the U.S, Shigihara took a job as the sound director for a company that produced an audio talk show and English learning materials through Apple Japan. She also released a studio album and composed her first video game soundtrack for a small casual game called Wobbly Bobbly. She stated that she would work voluntarily, and soon the company liked her work and paid her to create music for several subsequent projects.[7] From there she built up her portfolio and has worked on over 30 published titles including Plants vs. Zombies, Deltarune, World of Warcraft, Minecraft and the indie RPG To the Moon.[3] She participated in Akira Yamaoka's charity album Play for Japan where she contributed an original song called "Jump",[8] alongside other composers like Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda.[9] On November 16, 2011, she released her single "Cube Land" in relation to Minecraft and Plants vs. Zombies.[10]

As a game developer herself, Shigihara published two adventure games: Rakuen in 2017 and Mr. Saitou in 2023.[2]

Personal

She is an online streamer under the nickname supershigi on Twitch.

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Notes
2004 My Blue Dream Debut album
2021 Shigi Lofi, Vol. 1[lower-alpha 1] Remix album

Singles

Year Title Notes
2010 "Blood Elf Druids" World of Warcraft
2011 "Celestial Beings" Celestial Mechanica
"Cube Land" Minecraft / Plants vs. Zombies
"Everything's Alright" To the Moon
2012 "From the Ground Up" Minecraft
2016 "Better Days" A Quiver of Crows
2017 "Searching My Life" Rakuen
"Wish My Life Away" Finding Paradise
2019 "Pirate Seas" Plants vs. Zombies 2
2020 "Adamas Nivis" Original song
"Kingyo Hanabi" Cover
2021 "Much Wow, So Space"[lower-alpha 1] Original song
"Electric Disco Shiba" Original song
"Work Hard, Play Hard" CS:GO Music Kit
2023 "Wishing Star" Meg's Monster

Soundtrack albums

Year Title Notes
2009 Melolune Original Soundtrack, Part 1
2010 Plants vs. Zombies Original Soundtrack
2015 Super Sweet Boy EP / Music from Super Meat Boy 5th Anniversary
2017 Rakuen Original Soundtrack
2020 Dunk Lords
2023 Mr. Saitou

Shigihara's works also include:[11]

  • Deltarune (Toby Fox/2018), arranged/performed "Don't Forget" and "Until Next Time"
  • Farmer in the Sky, director, writer, composer
  • Band Saga (Rekcahdam, Playism/2016), singer
  • Cosmic Star Heroine (Zeboyd Games/2016), singer/lyricist "Lauren’s Song"
  • Chrono Trigger & Chrono Cross Arrangement Album/Harukanaru Toki no Kanata e (Japanese: クロノ・トリガー&クロノ・クロス アレンジアルバム ハルカナルトキノカナタヘ, romanized: Kurono Torigā & Kurono Kurosu Arenji Arubamu/Harukanaru Toki no Kanata e) (Yasunori Mitsuda/2015), contributing Lyricist/Arranger/Singer
  • CHUNITHM (Sega/2015), Sung "Alma's Theme" by Yasunori Mitsuda
  • Penny Arcade's "On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4" (2013), voice of MistleToe
  • Minecraft: The Story of Mojang, co-created ending theme song Tsuki No Koibumi (月の恋文, "The Moon's Love Letter")
  • Aether (The Basement Collection) (Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel/2012), original song
  • Theme Park (Electronic Arts/2011), lead composer
  • Ghost Harvest (Electronic Arts, 8lb Gorilla/2011), composer
  • Sweet World (Kabam/2010), lead composer and sound designer
  • Minesweeper (Microsoft, TG Xbox 360/2009 TBA), lead composer
  • Quintessence: The Blighted Venom (Kan Gao/2009 TBA), ending theme lead vocalist
  • Domino Master (Microsoft, TG Xbox 360/2008), assistant sound designer
  • U.S.G. A New Beginning (GPTouch/2008), ending theme composer and lead vocalist
  • Interpol 2: Most Wanted (Big Fish Games, Tikgames/2008), contributing composer
  • Waterscape Solitaire: American Falls (Tikgames/2007), lead composer and sound designer
  • Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos (Big Fish Games, Xbox 360, Tikgames/2007-2008), lead composer and sound designer
  • Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom (Big Fish Games, Tikgames/2007), lead composer and sound designer
  • Flowershop: Big City Break (Big Fish Games, Tikgames/2006), lead composer and sound designer
  • Wobbly Bobbly (Tikgames/2006), lead composer

Notes

  1. 1 2 Stylised in lowercase

References

  1. 1 2 Bae, Junseok; Won, Donghyun (January 24, 2018). "Laura Shigihara, a composer who uses heartwarming music to create a bond between the player and the game". Inven Global. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Uy, Michelle (September 2, 2020). "The best PC games from Asian American creators". TechRadar. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "VGM « mybluedream". Shigi.wordpress.com. September 7, 2006. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  4. ↑ Shigihara, Laura [@supershigi] (November 24, 2012). "@hafufilm I just wanted to say that I am really looking forward to watching your film! (I'm ハーフ – Japanese Dad, French-American Mom)" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2022 – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ arcticpenguin (May 5, 2009). "Interview with Laura Shigihara- Composer for Plants vs. Zombies". Play as Life. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  6. ↑ "laurashigihara.com". laurashigihara.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Poisso, Lisa (November 1, 2010). "15 Minutes of Fame: Laura Shigihara, voice of WoW's Singing Sunflower". Wow.joystiq.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Album | Artists | Play For Japan – A Game Industry Relief Effort". Play For Japan. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  9. ↑ "News – Interview: Yamaoka, Shigihara, And Jackson Play For Japan". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  10. ↑ ""Cube Land" – A Minecraft Music Video – An Original Song by Laura Shigihara (PvZ Composer)". YouTube. April 1, 2012. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Credits". Laura Shigihara. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
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