A GROUP of Westcountry fishermen has landed a major record deal after being spotted performing in their local pub.

The Fisherman's Friends, from Port Isaac on the North Cornwall coast, have secured a deal – said to be worth £1 million – with Universal, the company behind acts such as Lady Gaga, Take That and Amy Winehouse.

The 10-strong group, which also has a date at this year's Glastonbury Festival, will issue an album of traditional tunes and folk songs next month after being discovered by a record producer on holiday.

Founding member Jeremy Brown, who also has two brothers in the group, said: "We all grew up together with the exception of one member of the group although he has lived in the village for maybe 25 or 30 years so he is almost one of us.

"We get together each Friday night on this area of concrete by the harbour, which is a lovely setting – unless it is raining and blowing. Then we just retire to the pub."

YouTube clip of the Fisherman's Friends

Members of the group – who released two low-key a capella CDs themselves – are mainly in their 50s, although one of their number is in his 70s.

Baritone Mr Brown, who is a fisherman himself, said: "In Cornish pubs there is a tradition of singing and we just all got together with the intention of learning all the words instead of just knowing the first verse and the last verse and making up the bit in the middle."

He said he had been surprised there had been such interest in the group, adding: "We don't really know what to expect, to be honest – we're just making it up as we go along. We are booked in for a few festivals, we've got a slot at Glastonbury, but I don't really know too much about it. We might just be playing behind the bar."

YouTube clip of the Fisherman's Friends

The new album – recorded at the 15th-century church in nearby St Kew – will be released on April 26.

It features a haul of 14 songs from their repertoire, including South Australia and the haunting Cornish robber ballad The Cadgwith Anthem. The deal follows a wave of unusual album hits for Universal in recent years, which have included releases by the Fron Male Voice Choir and the Coldstream Guards. This month the label released an album of tunes by brass bands.

The album Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends was due to be released on the group's own label Marine Records. But Universal jumped in after record producer Rupert Christie spotted the group performing in a pub while on holiday.

The singers – who are or have been fishermen, lifeboatmen and coastguards – have been performing locally for more than 15 years. They perform weekly shows on the harbour front during the summer months.

Sea shanties were originally sung by the crews of ships while they worked on deck and the term comes from the French verb "chanter" – to sing.