Laura Shigihara

is an American singer-songwriter, composer, video game developer, and Twitch streamer. 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.

Shigihara has worked on over 30 other published video game titles including Deltarune, World of Warcraft, To the Moon, defunct 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.

Early life Born in the United States to a Japanese father and a French American mother, Shigihara grew up in both the US and Japan. she was given an old version of Sonar (known as Cakewalk since 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.

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. alongside other composers like Nobuo Uematsu, Koji Kondo and Yasunori Mitsuda. On November 16, 2011, she released her single "Cube Land" in relation to Minecraft and Plants vs. Zombies.

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

Discography

Studio albums Year Title Notes 2004 My Blue Dream + Debut album 2021 Shigi Lofi, Vol. 1 Remix album

Singles

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:

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 Plants vs. Zombies 2 (PopCap Games/2013), composed "Ancient Egypt" tracks Cosmic Star Heroine (Zeboyd Games/2016), singer/lyricist "Lauren’s Song" Chrono Trigger & Chrono Cross Arrangement Album/Harukanaru Toki no Kanata e (Yasunori Mitsuda/2015), contributing Lyricist/Arranger/Singer CHUNITHM (Sega/2015), Sung "Alma" 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 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