The Lowest of the Low
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Lowest of the Low is an alternative rock band from Canada, established in 1991 in Toronto, Ontario. They played a significant role in shaping the Canadian alternative music landscape during the early 1990s, gaining both critical praise and airplay. Their first album, Shakespeare My Butt, has been recognized among the top ten Canadian albums in several Chart polls and holds the 84th position in Bob Mersereau's The Top 100 Canadian Albums.
History
The group originated when Ron Hawkins, Stephen Stanley, and David Alexander—previously members of Popular Front—decided to form a new band amid internal disagreements within their former ensemble. Initially a trio, they soon expanded by adding John Arnott as a fourth member. Their sound, blending punk influences with jangle pop, quickly found an audience on Toronto’s Queen Street West live music scene. In 1991, they entered the CFNY Discovery to Disc contest with the tracks "Gamble" and "Motel 30," produced by Bob Wiseman.
That same year saw the release of their debut record, Shakespeare My Butt, through Page Publications. Many songs on this album were carried over from their Popular Front period, with Hawkins’s lyrics touching on themes such as Marxism, the Spanish Civil War, and notable Toronto locations including the Don River and Bathurst Street. The album achieved remarkable success as one of Canada's best-selling independent releases and neared gold status.
The band was known for their defiant stance against corporate influence in music, famously appearing at an A&R showcase wearing shirts emblazoned with slogans like "Don't suck corporate cock" and "Corporate rock still sucks."
In 1993, they secured a distribution agreement with A&M Records and followed up with Hallucigenia in 1994. Despite supporting the album through touring and preparing new material, internal creative and business disputes led to their dissolution later that year. Ron Hawkins went on to release a solo album titled The Secret of My Excess in 1996 before forming Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails.
Reunions
The Lowest of the Low reunited in 2000 for a brief five-show series that sold out venues in Toronto and Buffalo. January 2002 marked the release of their live album Nothing Short of a Bullet, which included a bonus disc featuring three new studio recordings, among them a cover of Bad Religion's "Kerosene".
Following bassist John Arnott’s departure in 2002, Dylan Parker stepped in as his replacement. The band signed with MapleMusic Recordings in 2004 and launched Sordid Fiction, their first studio album since 1994. After touring to promote the record, they entered an extended period of inactivity.
In November 2007, they announced their definitive breakup and performed two farewell concerts in Toronto and Williamsville, New York. Enthusiastic fans produced a DVD titled Into the Black documenting the final show, which was made available through Ron Hawkins’ official website.
December 2010 saw The Lowest of the Low reunite once again for a sold-out performance at Massey Hall along with two nights at Lee's Palace to celebrate the remastered release of Shakespeare My Butt on Pheromone Recordings. They scheduled a tour throughout 2011 commemorating the album’s twentieth anniversary.
On December 6, 2011, they unexpectedly appeared at The Only pub’s 30th anniversary event—a venue that inspired their song "Just About 'The Only' Blues".
Plans to record their fourth studio album in late 2013 were interrupted by Stephen Stanley’s exit from the lineup. By November 2015, they had released two new tracks featuring guitarist Brian Macmillan as Stanley’s successor. Their next full-length release came in 2017 with Do the Right Now, marking their first new material since 2004.
In 2018, they issued Shakespeare...My Box, a vinyl box set compiling their four studio albums alongside B-sides, live recordings, and remixes included in Thrifty, Thrifty, Thrifty.
Their subsequent studio effort, Agitpop, was released in 2019. Two years later, in 2021, they put out Taverns and Palaces, a live album capturing performances at Lee's Palace and the Horseshoe Tavern.
In 2023, The Lowest of the Low unveiled Welcome to the Plunderdome, their first album entirely self-produced by the band members themselves.
Influence
The Lowest of the Low have had a significant impact on The Weakerthans, whose frontman John K. Samson was previously a member of Propagandhi and performed a cover of TLotL's track "Gamble." Additionally, The Lowest of the Low made a nod to The Weakerthans in their song "A Casual Overdose." Other musicians who have interpreted their songs include Weddings Parties Anything with "Rosy and Grey" and Jeremy Fisher performing "Bleed a Little While Tonight."
Members
- Ron Hawkins – vocals, guitar
- Lawrence Nichols – keyboards, harmonica, vocals
- David Alexander – drums
- Greg Smith – bass
- Michael McKenzie – guitar
Former members
- John Arnott – bass
- Stephen Stanley – guitar, vocals
- Dylan Parker – bass
- Brian MacMillan – guitar
Albums
- Shakespeare My Butt (1991)
- Hallucigenia (1994)
- Nothing Short of a Bullet (2002)
- Sordid Fiction (2004)
- Do the Right Now (2017)
- Agitpop (2019)
- Taverns and Palaces (2021)
- Welcome to the Plunderdome (2023)
- Over Years and Overnight (2025)
Collections
- Shakespeare My Box (Box Set) (2018)
Singles
- "Eternal Fatalist" (1993)
- "Salesmen, Cheats and Liars" (1993)
- "City Full of Cowards" b/w "Crying Like a Postcard", "Bit" (1993)
- "Gamble" b/w "Night of the Living Assholes" (1994)
- "Motel 30" b/w "The Unbearable Lightness of Jean", "Motel 30 (Live)" (1994)
- "(These are) The Lives and Times" (2001)
- "Kinda the Lonely One" [live] (2001)
- "New Westminster Taxi Squad" (2002)
- "The Kids Are All Wrong" b/w "In The Blink of An Eye" (2015)
- "Powerlines" (digital only) (2017)