The band offers a unique blend of modern rock, 80s pop and some vintage 60s melodies thrown in for good measure. Paul, Launch Pad’s bass player and defacto spokesperson explains, “We weren’t really going for a specific sound. We wanted to let the style of the music grow organically from the blend of the different musicians and our styles and personalities. So really, we’re influenced by everyone who’ve ever influenced any of us.”

Although Paul is quick to point out that Lori is really the lead singer, the two Carharts share vocal duties, sometimes even switching off lead vocals within the same song. “It’s just sorta something we started doing to change things up,” Paul explains. “We’re all about changing things up.” In addition to singing more than half of the band’s tunes (and harmonizing on many of the ones Paul sings on), Lori also plays keys. “Lori has such a powerful, soulful voice,” says Paul, “and it’s really important for us to get her passion right up front and center. But the same can also be said for her playing, especially in the slower numbers. Sometimes it’s like she’s singing through the keys.”

“Each of these songs are like a little egg,” Lori adds. “Paul and I might sit on one for awhile and nurture it. Tweak chords. Tweak words. Perfect the melody. Then, when it gets the band treatment… it’s sorta like the egg has hatched and something new has been given birth. That’s the way we see these songs. Each one is a little miracle. That’s what we want to share. We want to share miracles.”

Launch Pad is different than a lot of other bands in the sense that they are a band on a mission to change the world for the better. In addition to playing the kinds of gigs one might expect of a modern-age rock band, Launch Pad expects to play their share of rescue missions and church concerts as well. Explains Paul, “We’re not snobs. We’ll play pretty much anywhere from dive bars to the largest halls and amphitheaters. If you can stretch an orange extension cord out to a street corner, hey, I’ve got a power strip. If we can plug in, we can play.” They even sometimes host intimate band gatherings in the basement of their Long Beach home.

Paul and Lori are both committed Christians with worship-leader histories. They make it clear, however, that Launch Pad is not necessarily a Christian band. “Sure, we’ve got a few worship anthems in our repertoire,” Paul explains. “But Launch Pad is a band that primarily tells it the way we see it. We have to be true to that. Sometimes we’re railing against neighborhood politics. Sometimes we’re bashing what happens at church. Sometimes we’re against corporate greed. Sometimes it’s simply about heartbreak and healing. We’re about truth and freedom. Our songs are about being human and many of them take on an ironic bite. I doubt if what we do would ever be accepted by the ‘Christian music industry’ or mainstream church. But someone’s got to say what’s not being said. Sometimes there will be a spiritual aspect. I mean, the truth is that everything has a spiritual aspect. How can we ignore that?

“We’re artists. Musicians. We’ve got a lot to say and we say it through our music.”