Tom Craggs-Ward and Charlotte Haywood, lead singer and keyboardist with Full Fat Light Bulb, speak to Megan Thompson about their upcoming single and Brighton’s attitude towards new artists on the scene.

Full Fat Light Bulb is an interesting and memorable name. Where did it come from?

We wanted to make full-bodied music with a big sound and bring something new to the table, and we thought an original name like this says that. Our songs are heavily funk- influenced and some of the guitar parts are very rocky, but it works really well together.

How does this work in your songwriting process?

We have a mixed bunch in the band. Combined, we have influences ranging from James Brown to Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers to Rage Against the Machine along with more recent stuff like Paolo Nutini and Bruno Mars. We’ve got big riffs and a twist of funk from the guitarists, two soulful vocalists and sweet harmonies.

You guys have a lot of material. Are there any plans for an EP?

We have a single on the way – we’ll be releasing our song Mystery around May or June time with a launch party. Then we are planning to put together an EP later in the year. We also have a brand new song that will be featured on the EP along with some favourites from our usual set list.

You’ve got quite a following in Brighton at the moment. Any plans for shows in other cities to broaden your audience?

Definitely. We’ve got some gigs in London on the cards. We don’t have any particular dates or venues yet but we’ve been talking with a lot of London promoters. We’ve also been looking into other places like Bristol, Reading and Southampton. We’re headlining The Brunswick in Brighton on April 30 too.

What do shows like that one mean to you as a band?

We’re really grateful to be headlining shows already; the support we’ve had has been amazing and obviously we wouldn’t be able to play these shows without that. We’re working so hard to create the music we love and to see such a positive response in return is great. Our show on April 14 at Bleach is really going to be a big party.

Everyone’s invited and when our friends are there it’s guaranteed to be a great night.

How did you and all the band members meet and how long have you been a band?

We all moved to Brighton apart from Charlotte who is Brighton-born. When Tom mentioned starting a band we jammed some songs and all instantly clicked. We’ve been a band for one-and-a-half-years now and have had some real good times together. We played a crazy house gig one time for a party and things got out of hand.

We were told the police were downstairs and everyone froze. We ended up turning to each other and saying, “Let’s just play one last song” and quickly rushed through our last song. Everyone went mad. We realised stuff like that is why we want to be musicians – to make people happy.

What made you choose Brighton for music?

The music scene down here is constantly buzzing, with so many music genres being covered. It was something we wanted to be a part of and really sink our teeth into. We felt it was a place where we could fit in and show what we have to offer.

What do you think of the music scene in Brighton and how it acts towards new artists?

Yeah, it’s incredible and there’s definitely something for everyone. The scene is really open to new bands and with that attitude you see things come to the surface that might not have done so otherwise. Plus, there’s such a vast opportunity for gigs, you’re gonna get a chance whatever your style.