| The Lowest of the Low | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1991–1993, 2000, 2007, 2010–present |
| Labels | Pheromone, A&M |
| Associated acts | Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails |
| Website | lowestofthelow.com |
| Past members | |
| Ron Hawkins Stephen Stanley David Alexander Lawrence Nichols Dylan Parker John Arnott |
|
The Lowest of the Low is a Canadian alternative rock group formed in 1991 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were one of the most influential bands on the Canadian alternative music scene in the early 1990s, garnering widespread critical acclaim and radio play. Shakespeare My Butt ranked tenth in the greatest albums in Canadian music history by the music magazine Chart.[1]
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Formed by Ron Hawkins, Stephen Stanley and David Alexander, the band was originally known as Popular Front. The band's punk-inspired jangle pop quickly became a popular draw on the Queen Street West club circuit in Toronto.
In 1991 they released their debut album, Shakespeare My Butt, featuring songs they had already performed and toured for several years as Popular Front. Hawkins's songs were filled with lyrics about Marxism and the Spanish Civil War, but also contained many references to Toronto landmarks like the Don River, Bathurst Street, and his local pub, "The Only" on Danforth Avenue. The album was actively supported by Toronto radio station CFNY, and quickly made the band a popular name across southern Ontario and western New York. The album became the best-selling independent release in Canadian history (although it would be eclipsed later the same year by Barenaked Ladies' Yellow Tape). Shakespeare My Butt was later named one of the ten greatest albums in Canadian music history by the music magazine Chart.[1]
In 1993, the band signed a distribution deal with A&M Records, and released Hallucigenia in 1994. Unfortunately, the band was riven with tensions, and broke up later the same year. Two reunions have subsequently followed.
Hawkins released a solo album, The Secret of My Excess, in 1996 before forming Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails. His latest 2009 release is entitled 10 Kinds of Lonely. Hawkins recently toured Canada with British rock legend Billy Bragg. His next tour brings him to China and Australia in March 2010.
In 2000, The Lowest of the Low set aside their differences for a five-show reunion tour, which saw the band playing to sold-out venues in Toronto and Buffalo. In 2001, the live album Nothing Short of a Bullet was released. The album also featured a second disc with three new studio songs, including a cover of the Bad Religion song "Kerosene".
Sordid Fiction, the band's first new studio album since 1994, was released in 2004. Following the tour for that record, the band went on extended hiatus again.
In November 2007 the band announced that they were breaking up for good. They played two final shows, one on December 4, 2007 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and another on December 8, 2007 at Club Infinity in Williamsville, New York. This concert was released by fans of the band as a DVD, incorporating several camcorder recordings of the show and a soundboard audio patch. The fan released DVD was entitled Into the Black, and can be downloaded on Ron Hawkins' web site.
In December 2010, the band reunited again for two shows at Lee's Palace in Toronto to celebrate the release of a new remastered edition of Shakespeare My Butt on Pheromone Recordings. They also announced plans for a tour in 2011 to mark the 20th anniversary of the album.
On December 6, 2011, the band performed a surprise set at the 30th anniversary party for The Only, the pub that inspired the song "Just About 'The Only' Blues" on their first album.
The band has been cited as a major influence by The Weakerthans. Covers of Lowest of the Low songs by other artists include "Rosy and Grey" by Weddings Parties Anything and "Gamble" by Propagandhi (with a bass track recorded by Weakerthans leader John K. Samson while he was a member).