Auction is Joseph Sigee (vocals), Samuel White (guitar), Andrew Smith (keys), Kane Dansie (bass) and Guy Lawrence (drums). The five of them grew up in and around Croydon and became friends at sixth form college. They were all in different bands before realisation dawned that they could create something really special by pooling their own musical talents.
The band writes, rehearses and records in unusual surroundings that also inspired their name – an auction house. The huge building was originally built as a railway station but the site was changed and it was rendered redundant. Drummer Guy’s great great grandfather started a removal business a century ago that grew into a hugely successful operation. This passed to his son who, having a keen interest in antiques, began holding auctions in the local village hall – and that turned into another lucrative business. As a result he bought the abandoned building and it became an auction house, which Guy’s dad runs to this day. The disused living quarters upstairs were recently claimed by a group of propitious, bright musicians who turned it into their much loved studio – and named their band Auction in its honour.
You might think that creating songs in such an austere environment would result in a rather traditional musical output. Not so. Auction, who cite the likes of Wild Beasts and The Police as their musical inspiration, produce songs bursting with experimental creativity, uniqueness and intelligence.