Communion Music

Communion Music is an independent music company, made up of Communion Records, Communion Presents, and Communion Publishing. It has offices in London and Brooklyn, NY. In its capacity as a label, promoter and publisher it currently works with a wide range of artists including Catfish and the Bottlemen, Ben Howard, James Bay, George Ezra, Bear's Den, Nathaniel Ratefliff and the Night Sweats, Daughter and Highly Suspect.

History

Communion was founded by musicians Kevin Jones (Bears Den), Ben Lovett (Mumford and Sons) and acclaimed producer Ian Grimble. It was born in the summer of 2006 as a monthly live music night at London's Notting Hill Arts Club. Frustrated by the overly competitive and often artist-unfriendly live music scene in London, the founders intention was to create a platform for their own and others music in an environment that was creative, collaborative and respectful. The night quickly grew into an active and supportive community of musicians and fans, and in 2016 celebrates its 10th anniversary.

From that West London basement bar, Communion has grown into a Record Label, concert Promoter and Publisher – with offices in London and New York, and a firmer than ever focus on artist development.[1]

Communion Records

Communion Records was started initially as a way to document and present the community of musicians that was building in and around the Communion Clubnight and others like it in West London. Accordingly its first release was a compilation simply titled Communion. Released as a limited edition 12" vinyl, it featured previously unheard recordings by the likes of Mumford and Sons, J J Pistolet (Justin Young from the Vaccinnes), Johnny Flynn, Alessi's Ark and Peggy Sue. It also featured a number of emerging artists who would end up releasing music on the label later, including Elena Tonra (Daughter), Andrew Davie (Bears Den) and Matthew Hegarty (Matthew and the Atlas).[2]

With the compilation as a launchpad the label released its first artist release (Matthew and the Atlas's To the North EP) in 2010. It went on to release debut EPs and singles by a wide range of artists including Michael Kiwanuka, Ben Howard, Gotye, Daughter, Matt Corby, Marcus Foster Nathaniel Rateliff and others. In many cases the label's founders were highly involved in the creative process, with Grimble often producing and Jones playing with the artists in the studio or live.

Via a 2 year partnership with Island Records, Communion went on to release full length albums by Deap Vally, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Half Moon Run and Catfish and the Bottlemen, whose debut album The Balcony has gone on to sell around 400,000 copies worldwide and saw the band winning a 2016 Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough.

In 2015 Communion Records signed a new distribution deal with Universal Music's Caroline International,[3] under which it is releasing music by its current roster, which includes Bear’s Den, Joseph J Jones, Rukhsana Merrise, Banfi, Syd Arthur, Foreign Fields and Matthew and the Atlas.

Communion Records US

In 2012 Communion launched its sister label, Communion Records US, under the stewardship of Ben Lovett. Initially distributed by Sony RED and now by Capitol Music Group,[4] it has signed and released records by Tennis, Willy Mason and Rubblebucket, as well as been the US home for Bear’s Den, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Matthew and the Atlas.

Compilations

Continuing the tradition started by the first release, Communion has gone on to release three further compilations.

Communion Presents

Communion Presents is one of London's leading independent concert promoters. Like Communion Records, it emerged from the Communion Clubnight, applying the same artist centric ethos and approach to career development. It represents a roster of around 150 artists, including James Bay, Ben Howard, George Ezra, Michael Kiwanuka, Half Moon Run, Matt Corby, Jack Garratt, Bear's Den, The Staves, Frances, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and Chet Faker.

Festivals

Communion Presents has its own 1500 capacity festival in Shepherds Bush called "Bushstock". Focused on new and emerging talent, it takes place in June across multiple venues in the Shepherds Bush area.[9]

Communion Presents is also a partner in Citadel Festival, a one-day event in Victoria Park in London that launched in July 2015 with Ben Howard as its first headliner.[10][11]

Tours

Communion Presents has produced a number of tours, most notably the Austin to Boston tour of March 2012, which was made into an award winning documentary of the same name.[12]

It also produces a bi-annual tour in the UK called "New Faces" which features four emerging artists on a rotating line up.[13]

Communion Publishing

Communion Publishing is an independent music publisher, administered by Kobalt. Writers on the roster include Catfish and the Bottlemen, Bear's Den, Foreign Fields, Banfi, Joseph J Jones, Matt Hegarty and Richard Frennaux.

Releases

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Forthcoming

References

  1. ↑ "Communion Records to celebrate 10th birthday with gigs series - M Magazine". 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  2. ↑ "Mumford & Sons' clubnight Communion to release compilation album". NME. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  3. ↑ "Communion signs with UMG's Caroline International, exits Island deal - Music Business Worldwide". 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  4. ↑ "Communion signs Capitol deal with Universal in the US - Music Business Worldwide". 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  5. ↑ "Communion spread the word with The Flowerpot Sessions". 2011-04-28. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  6. ↑ "Mumford & Sons, Lissie, Lyrebirds to take over north London venue". NME. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  7. ↑ "Communion Prepare 'New Faces' Compilation". Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  8. ↑ "Record Store Day 2016 | Independent record stores | Foals". 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  9. ↑ "Rationale, HAUS & more for Bushstock Festival 2016 | MFN". 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  10. ↑ Chick, Stevie (2015-07-20). "Citadel festival review – a kaleidoscopic musical landscape". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  11. ↑ "Citadel Festival". Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  12. ↑ "Austin to Boston feat. Ben Howard, The Staves, Nathaniel Rateliff & Bear's Den". Music-News.com. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  13. ↑ "Preview: Communion New Faces Tour 2016". poppedmusic. 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-08-02.

External links

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