The Lowest of the Low
| The Lowest of the Low | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1991–1994, 2000–2007, 2010–present |
| Labels | Pheromone, A&M |
| Associated acts | Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, The Do Good Assassins, The Low UK, The Leisure Demons, Popular Front |
| Website | lowestofthelow |
| Members |
Ron Hawkins David Alexander Lawrence Nichols Dylan Parker Brian MacMillan |
| Past members |
Stephen Stanley 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. Their most successful album, Shakespeare My Butt, was later named one of the ten greatest albums in Canadian music history in three successive reader polls by the music magazine Chart, as well as being ranked as the 84th greatest Canadian album of all time in Bob Mersereau's book The Top 100 Canadian Albums.
The band was formed by Ron Hawkins, Stephen Stanley and David Alexander, all members of the band Popular Front, as a side project at a time when their other band was going through internal tensions that eventually led to its breakup. While performing as a trio in folk clubs, they met John Arnott, who became the band's fourth member. The band's punk-inspired jangle pop quickly became a popular draw on the Queen Street West club circuit in Toronto. They submitted the songs "Gamble" and "Motel 30", produced by Bob Wiseman, to the $100,000 CFNY Discovery to Disc contest in 1991.
In 1991 they released their debut album, Shakespeare My Butt, on Page Publications. The album featured 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 became one of the best-selling independent releases in Canadian history, selling just short of gold status, and was later named one of the ten greatest albums in Canadian music history by the music magazine Chart.
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