Charlotte La Rue of Rocket Queen and Moodlifters: The NAMM Show 2026 Interviews

Charlotte La Rue of Rocket Queen and Moodlifters: The NAMM Show 2026 Interviews

Few artists move through Southern California’s tribute and cover‑band scene with the velocity—and versatility—of Charlotte La Rue. Whether she’s channeling Axl Rose with Rocket Queen, tackling the impossible heights of Geddy Lee in the newly announced Moodlifters lineup, or fronting a ’90s‑to‑now cover band with effortless swagger, Charlotte has become one of the most recognizable voices on local stages. At this year’s NAMM Show, she carved out time between rehearsals, networking, and gear‑hunting to talk about her expanding list of projects, her leap back into original music, and the surreal moments that have shaped her journey—from getting shut down by the “NAMM police” to sharing the stage with Steel Panther. What follows is a candid, energetic conversation with an artist who’s building a career on range, resilience, and pure love for the craft.

We’re here with Charlotte La Rue at The NAMM Show. First of all, what has been the highlight for you this year?
For me, it’s always seeing people I haven’t seen in a while—catching up with friends. A huge highlight was the NAMM Jam last night. I’m a big fan of Dino Jelusick and Jeff Scott Soto, so getting to see them perform was really cool. And then seeing all my friends from the Ultimate Jam Nights at the Whisky… it was just really fun to watch everyone up there. It felt like a big reunion.

Let’s talk about the many bands you’re in right now—there are a lot of them. First up: Rocket Queen. How did you get involved with that project?
So I did a sub gig for Maiden United, and our drummer Francis used to drum for Rocket Queen. I met him through that gig, and then he and Tom needed to put together a project pretty quickly for when Guns N’ Roses were going to be in town.

I had just posted a cover of “18 and Life” by Skid Row that Francis really liked. So when they were looking for a singer, Francis said, “I know a girl—I just did a gig with her.” I actually met him through Jen Warren—she’s the one who got me that initial gig. So technically, I owe her for all of this.

Francis sent Tom my Skid Row cover, they reached out, asked if I was interested, and we did the two shows we were originally supposed to do. But we got such a good reaction and had so much fun that we decided to keep it going.

Channeling Axl Rose—how does that feel?
It’s cool. It’s fun. It took me a while, though. We’ve been doing this for two years now, and I still feel like I’m constantly learning. I finally feel like I’ve got the voice down and figured out how to get his grit. The biggest thing is learning how to do it without hurting yourself.

In the beginning, I watch videos from two years ago and I sound really clean. Now I can get that grit behind it. And of course, the stage presence—once I got more comfortable, it became about throwing mic stands, throwing fake fits, all that fun stuff.

Has anyone from Guns N’ Roses heard about Rocket Queen?
As far as I know, I’m sure some of them have. I know Ari Kamin, who works with Steven Adler, knows about us. So I’m assuming word has gotten around. I think Tom has mentioned things too. I’m not 100% sure who knows directly, but I do know Dizzy Reed knows about us because Greg has played for him before.

The YourMom Band—what is that? Tell me about it.
That one’s really fun. I love them to death. It’s a new ’90s‑to‑now cover band I joined. Of course, the second I joined, they started throwing in some ’80s covers—because you know me, I can’t stay away from that stuff.

It’s been great, and they’re Orange County–based, which is new for me. A lot of my bands haven’t been local, so having musicians who live ten minutes away and can jam anytime is awesome. We play a lot locally—Hanger 24 in Irvine, and we’re playing Gaslamp in Long Beach tonight. Everything about it has been great.

The Rush tribute, Moodlifters, was just announced. Tell me about that and how you became involved.
Yeah, so it’s kind of crazy. My friend Billy and I—I’m a huge La La Land fan—went to The Lighthouse because they filmed a lot of the movie there. He lives nearby, so he said, “We should go check out a show.” Honestly, it was mostly so I could nerd out about the filming location.

He mentioned there was going to be a Rush tribute that night, and I was like, “Cool, let’s check it out.” That ended up being the Moodlifters, and they were great. I saw them with Rocky, their previous vocalist, who’s incredible.

About three months later, I got a message on BandMix from someone saying he was looking for a singer for a Rush tribute. It was all very under wraps, so I couldn’t tell anyone for months—except my dad, because who’s he going to tell?

When I told Billy, he said, “I wonder if it’s the same band we saw.” Rush is one of my dream tribute gigs—if Aerosmith didn’t exist, Rush would be my favorite band of all time—so I was already excited. Then I looked up the guy who messaged me, Isamu, and realized he was in the Moodlifters. I was auditioning for the exact tribute we had randomly stumbled across three months earlier. Total small‑world, cosmic moment.

Rehearsals start next week, and I’m beyond excited to get going.

It’s difficult to sing Rush.
It’s very different from what I’m used to. With Guns N’ Roses, it’s high but gritty. Rush is high but clean. Songs like “Subdivisions” and “Tom Sawyer” aren’t too bad for me. The hardest stuff is 2112—anything off that record. “Something for Nothing,” “Temples of Syrinx”… those insanely high early‑Geddy songs. He was only like 17 when he recorded that album, which is wild.

But that’s what I love: every band I’m in challenges me differently. In the ’90s band, I’m doing Rage Against the Machine and rapping more—kind of that rock/hip‑hop crossover. With Rocket Queen, I’m doing the gritty rock thing. With Rush, it’s rock but cleaner and more melodic. It keeps everything well‑rounded and fresh. Nothing feels repetitive.

Viridian Lights and Aggressive Groove—tell me about those.
Viridian Lights is an all‑girl band. I’ve known those girls since around 2020—we met on BandMix during COVID. I honestly didn’t think anything would come from making a BandMix profile, and they messaged me the first day. Now they’re some of my best friends.

You might know them—they’re all in the tribute scene. Nadine subs for Babes Against the Machine all the time and plays in Sweet Revenge, the My Chemical Romance tribute. Alex subs for Green Today and others. We’re an all‑girl cover band and just have a blast with it.

Aggressive Groove is similar—it’s a fun band I’m in with my boyfriend, my old manager, and her husband. Our friends were newer to gigging, so we were like, “Why not start something?” We play every once in a while just for fun.

“Mama, I’m Coming Home”—you covered that with Tommy Hatz. Tell me about that cover, and what does Ozzy mean to you?
Ozzy meant everything to me growing up. I had posters of him on my wall—like every kid since the ’80s. Black Sabbath especially meant a lot to me. They’re one of the reasons I picked up a guitar. The first riff I ever taught myself was “Crazy Train,” which I’m sure a lot of guitarists say.

I grew up watching The Osbournes, so Ozzy was always kind of part of my life. I’ll never forget the first time I heard “No More Tears.” He was a huge vocal inspiration for me, and a big reason I wanted to learn guitar too—because of Randy Rhoads, and I’m a massive Jake E. Lee fan. Bark at the Moon, Waiting for Darkness… the first time I heard that album, it felt like my life changed.

After leaving Mori’s Memento, do you still miss playing original music?
I do, and I’m actually working on a couple different projects right now. I’m writing original music under my own name—people have been telling me to do that for years. I’m collaborating with different writers and talking to producers, just exploring what direction I want to take.

The cool thing is that people know me from all these different bands—Rocket Queen, Moodlifters, the ’90s band—so I’ve been building a foundation through all those projects. No matter which band someone discovers me through, they still know me. So when I release original music under my own name, it’s like, “Oh, that’s the girl from…” and it all connects.

I’m also meeting with a couple people at NAMM this year who are talking about having me front a new project they’re starting, which is exciting. I love doing covers and tributes—they’re fun, the people are great, and they keep me busy. But the original music is where the real passion is.

Now, Mori’s Memento, NAMM, and us have a bit of a history at the Highwire Daze Booth. Let’s talk about that.
Oh yeah, that was always a fun experience. We probably should’ve made bets on how long we’d last before getting shut down. We’d plan a 30‑minute set and I’d be like, “We’re only getting through half a song, so let’s just pick the one or two we really want to do.”

But honestly, it made for great stories. I had so much fun with those guys, and I always have fun with you all. I’m grateful for that band because it’s how I met you and built all those connections. NAMM with you guys has always been an adventure—getting shut down by the NAMM police and all that.

You’ve also been on stage with Steel Panther. What was that like?
That was a girl’s dream come true. I grew up listening to those guys. I had my dad’s old iPod synced to his iCloud, so I got all his music. I remember the first time Steel Panther came on shuffle—I was like 11 and definitely too young to be listening to them.

But even with the jokey lyrics, they’re insanely talented musicians. I’m really grateful to them—Russ especially. Satchel has given me a lot of advice and support. We still talk regularly.

Going on stage with them was surreal, especially because it happened multiple times. They’d just start bringing me up for songs. It was a total pinch‑me moment. They’ve been really supportive of everything I’m doing, and that means a lot.

Since we’re at NAMM, let’s talk equipment. What mic do you like?
Live, I’m a huge Shure fan. That’s my dream endorsement. I use their dual wireless system with the Beta 58s—I love those mics. For wired, I have a Sennheiser I really like too.

In the studio, it’s Shure again. I use the SM7. I just love the way their mics sound and the power I can get out of them, especially for the Guns N’ Roses stuff—you need a solid mic for that. I just got my wireless system recently, so it’s still shiny and new. I like Neumann as well, but Shure is definitely my go‑to.

You’re developing quite a following. Do you have any message for the people who’ve been supporting your bands?
Yeah—thank you. Seriously, thank you. It can be tough trying to make it in this business, whether it’s originals or covers. It gets discouraging sometimes. So knowing that people care about what I’m doing means everything.

I still have people come up to me saying they saw me six years ago at the Coach House with my high school cover band. That’s really cool. Knowing people have followed me through all these different projects inspires me to keep going, especially now that I’m stepping into original music under my own name. I’ve always been behind a band name, so putting myself out there is more vulnerable. Their support makes me feel a lot more comfortable doing that.

IN CONCLUSION

Charlotte La Rue is one of those rare artists who seems to exist in constant motion—juggling tributes, cover bands, studio work, and now a return to original music, all with the same mix of humility and fire. What makes her stand out isn’t just the range of voices she can channel or the sheer number of stages she commands; it’s the intention behind it all. She’s building something bigger than any single project, laying the groundwork for a career that’s unmistakably her own.

As she steps into this next chapter—fronting new bands, writing under her own name, and continuing to evolve as a performer—her momentum feels undeniable. And if the energy around her at NAMM is any indication, the community is ready to follow wherever she goes next.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Karyn Burleigh of Rock Edge Photography)

Charlotte La Rue on Instagram
Rocket Queen on Instagram
Moodlifters on Instagram