Communion Records, the British label founder by Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett, has entered into a wide-ranging agreement with Capitol Music Group with CMG’s Virgin Records contributing artist development and marketing support. The news comes as Communion band Catfish and the Bottlemen sees its debut album, The Balcony, certified Gold in the United Kingdom.

Further affiliations for Communion Records US artists will be decided on a case-by-case basis, with releases being handled through Universal Music Distribution or CMG’s Caroline.

CMG evps Michelle Jubelirer and Scott Greer will oversee Communion’s associations.

Says Lovett in announcing the deal: “In a transitional and unpredictable time for the music industry, commitment to a high quality level of artists who are true musicians, full of integrity, has helped us build solid foundations. CMG is a company made up of rock stars who believe in breaking artists when the signs are telling them otherwise. This is the quality I value highest in them and this will only lead to greater things for the future of the artists we go on to work with.”

Communion Records was formed in London in 2006 and launched a Brooklyn-based division in 2011. Among the acts the label has signed are Bear’s Den, Michael Kiwanuka, Ben Howard, Matt Corby, Nathaniel Rateliff and Daughter, among others. [Billboard]