Biography
One of the most impactful and widely followed indie rock acts to emerge from Canada, the Lowest of the Low fuse melodic, folk-tinged rock with the raw drive and dedication typical of punk. Ron Hawkins on vocals and guitar, Steven Stanley on guitar, and David Alexander on drums—all three formerly of Popular Front—launched the group in Toronto during 1991 after their earlier band dissolved, turning what began as an acoustic diversion into their central project. Adding bassist John Arnott, they first worked Toronto’s folk venues before moving into prominent rock clubs once electric guitars gained prominence in their arrangements. After laying down demo recordings and submitting the tapes to several labels without meaningful response, they issued the material themselves as Shakespeare My Butt. Although the initial plan called for sales mainly at concerts, demand quickly exceeded expectations, prompting Page Publications to secure national distribution; the record briefly stood as the highest-selling independent album in Canadian history before Barenaked Ladies’ Yellow Tape overtook it. An intensive touring regimen followed the surge in popularity, accompanied by pronounced skepticism toward the major labels now pursuing them. In 1993 the band surprised observers by signing with London Smith Discs, which maintained a distribution arrangement with A&M Records. Their second release, the harder-edged Hallucigenia, arrived in 1994 yet met with both commercial and critical letdown, leading to a quiet dissolution by year’s end.
Despite the breakup, enthusiasm for the Lowest of the Low persisted. Their 2000 reunion tour revealed an expanded audience, while Chart magazine later placed Shakespeare My Butt among the ten finest Canadian albums ever recorded. The shows proved highly successful, yielding the 2001 live collection Nothing Short of a Bullet captured across multiple dates. Arnott departed in 2002, with Dylan Parker assuming bass duties; the revised lineup completed Sordid Fiction, issued in 2004. Following another hiatus, the band scheduled farewell performances for November 2007 and announced a permanent split. Induction into the Canadian Indie Music Hall of Fame came in 2008. Two years later they issued a remastered, expanded edition of Shakespeare My Butt and marked the occasion with a reunion concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall, the same venue where Stanley had once worked as an usher. Contrary to the 2007 declaration, activity resumed in 2013 with plans for a fourth studio album, yet progress stalled when Stanley exited. Brian MacMillan stepped in on guitar, enabling the November 2015 release of the digital singles “The Kids Are All Wrong” and “In the Blink of an Eye.” Their fourth studio album, Do the Right Now, followed in September 2017 and was promoted through performances across Canada and New York.
Despite the breakup, enthusiasm for the Lowest of the Low persisted. Their 2000 reunion tour revealed an expanded audience, while Chart magazine later placed Shakespeare My Butt among the ten finest Canadian albums ever recorded. The shows proved highly successful, yielding the 2001 live collection Nothing Short of a Bullet captured across multiple dates. Arnott departed in 2002, with Dylan Parker assuming bass duties; the revised lineup completed Sordid Fiction, issued in 2004. Following another hiatus, the band scheduled farewell performances for November 2007 and announced a permanent split. Induction into the Canadian Indie Music Hall of Fame came in 2008. Two years later they issued a remastered, expanded edition of Shakespeare My Butt and marked the occasion with a reunion concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall, the same venue where Stanley had once worked as an usher. Contrary to the 2007 declaration, activity resumed in 2013 with plans for a fourth studio album, yet progress stalled when Stanley exited. Brian MacMillan stepped in on guitar, enabling the November 2015 release of the digital singles “The Kids Are All Wrong” and “In the Blink of an Eye.” Their fourth studio album, Do the Right Now, followed in September 2017 and was promoted through performances across Canada and New York.