London, Jan 11 - British director Guy Ritchie has collaborated with Universal Records to create a label to launch his pub's house band into the mainstream.

Ritchie believes that the band, an Irish folk group who regularly play at his pub - The Punchbowl - here, have what it takes to be successful and is funding them to help give the band a boost, reported contactmusic.com.

'It's exciting to venture into the music industry. It's a tough place but I've seen this band connect with people. They have every chance of being embraced by a wider audience,' said the filmmaker.

The Punchbowl Band, which has Willy Barr, Brendan McAuley, Steve Mulhern and Daniel Gott, will release their debut album 'Journey' on March 1 through Punchbowl Records, a subsidiary of Universal Records.