“Amidst the Chaos of Trauma: Jessica Curry’s New Album ‘Shielding Songs'”

fortunately for us, the memory of the Covid lockdown has become a distant past. After several years, we’ve stepped back into life, rebuilding our careers and relationships, exploring the world anew. However, that’s not the case for everyone. Acclaimed composer Jessica Curry has crafted a captivating and refined soundtrack and has recently released projects like Everyone’s Dear Esther and Esther’s Dear Esther. After being diagnosed with a degenerative illness in her mid-20s, she began her own quarantine at the onset of the pandemic, remaining at home for almost five years. During that time, she was unable to create or write, and her world felt as though it was crumbling.

“Like many, I endured a challenging pandemic,” she reflects. “I witnessed my father passing away on Zoom, along with my aunt and other family members. Following the discovery of a tumor in my ovaries, I had major abdominal surgery, but the surgery was unsuccessful in 2022. It was only then that I found myself able to listen to music again.”

Last year, the turning point came when Curry decided to revisit her music. Although she wasn’t ready to start composing, she began organizing her works after years of low productivity. This led to the creation of *Shield Song*, an album that prominently features new interpretations of her favorite pieces. The album is enveloped in an ethereal choir sound performed by the esteemed London choir. “Shield Songs represent a gathering, almost a manifesto. What do I stand for as a composer? What is my legacy? I thought it might be my final statement.”

The album comprises four pieces that evoke joy. It is based on a game about an apocalypse viewed through the lens of a quaint English village, for which Curry received a BAFTA for the soundtrack. The game was developed by The Chinese Room, a studio co-founded by Curry and her husband, Dan Pinchbeck. He praised the stunning idyllic surroundings and deeply emotional scores, influenced by composers Elgar and Vaughan Williams. This music remains among her most beloved works.

“I’ll still get emails about it in ten years,” she shares. “So many fans have tattoos inspired by it. I often receive messages from people who listen to death metal but love this soundtrack. While the game centers on human relationships, I wanted to reimagine the music.”

Another reason *Rapture* resonates in the new album is its thematic parallel between isolation at the end of the world and experiences during the Covid years. “Games are about the human experience—what does it mean to love?” she reflects. “Interestingly, many themes connect to global events, like the pandemic, and how we cope with them.” Curry describes the shield songs as a reflection on love and sorrow, yet they also offer a hopeful exploration of human resilience. The four tracks draw from the enduring light of her anti-war requiem, first performed in 2011, responding to the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, infused with a sense of optimism for the future.

The album also features a blend of works from The Chinese Room’s VR sci-fi adventures. The titular track is a haunting choral piece inspired by John Dowland, while the remaining tracks lean toward experimentation, showcasing her evolving musical direction. “You could say it’s mine, but it blends minimalism with a classical twist, and it evokes a cinematic quality,” Curry explains. “It has that epic space opera feel, and I loved how everything came together in the score.”

After selling The Chinese Room to SUMO Digital in 2018, Curry set off on her own journey, while Pinchbeck remained as creative director, guiding the BAFTA Award-winning game *Oil Rig Horror Adventure*, before departing in 2023. “Maybe we’re insane,” she muses, “but I believe we have a talent for creating games, Dan and I. We have stories to tell.” Although Curry is still battling illness and apprehensive about going out—especially given the aggressive attitudes some have towards masked individuals—she has returned to composing.

“For the first time in a long while, I can truly hear music in my mind,” she expresses. “I never imagined I’d experience that again, and I believe it will yield something new. This will be Jessica Curry, but I am not the same person I was before. When something profoundly bad happens, you transform.”