Ron Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Ron Hawkins is a musician from Toronto
who is best known as a member of the band The Lowest of the Low
, in which he is the frontman, primary songwriter, lead vocalist, and one of two guitarists. He has also released music as a solo artist and fronted the band Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails
.
and Hallucigenia
. Shakespeare My Butt was voted by Canadians as one of the Top 10 Canadian Albums of all time by Chart
magazine. The band broke up in 1994.
After The Lowest of the Low broke up, he formed The Leisure Demons. The Leisure Demons recorded a four-song demo containing songs that were later recorded by his next band, The Rusty Nails. In 1995, Ron Hawkins released his first solo album, The Secret of My Excess. The musicians on this release—Lawrence Nichols (vocals), Christopher Plock (saxophones), Michael Kaler (aka Blitz) (bass)—soon became known as The Rusty Nails
, and were joined by Rob Fenton (saxophone, violin), and Mark Hansen (drums). Mark Hansen was a member of the Toronto band Dig Circus
, which was mentioned in a Lowest of the Low song. The Rusty Nails spent much of 1996 and 1997 touring in support of The Secret of My Excess. In September 1998, their first album Greasing the Star Machine was released independently.
The band supported Billy Bragg
, The Violent Femmes, Cracker
and Big Sugar
on tours.
In 2000, The Lowest of the Low reunited. They performed a reunion tour, which resulted in the live album Nothing Short of a Bullet
. They later recorded another album, Sordid Fiction
, before splitting up again in 2007. The Lowest of the Low continue to play sporadic shows to this day, including a tour celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their most famous album Shakespeare My Butt
which culminated at Massey Hall on May 7, 2011.
Exclaim!
magazine, writing about the album 10 Kinds of Lonely (2009), notes that "the spontaneous results confirm his status as one of our best wordsmiths".
Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails:
Solo:
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
who is best known as a member of the band The Lowest of the Low
The Lowest of the Low
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...
, in which he is the frontman, primary songwriter, lead vocalist, and one of two guitarists. He has also released music as a solo artist and fronted the band Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails
Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails
Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails were a Canadian indie rock band in the late 1990s.The band was formed by musician Ron Hawkins out of the sessions for his 1996 solo album The Secret of My Excess, following the breakup of The Lowest of the Low...
.
Career
The Lowest of the Low sold over 100,000 copies of their two independent releases, Shakespeare My ButtShakespeare My Butt
Shakespeare My Butt... is a 1991 album by The Lowest of the Low.At the time of its release, the album briefly became the best-selling independent release in Canadian history, although it was eclipsed later the same year by Barenaked Ladies' The Yellow Tape. However, its melodic, jangly folk-punk...
and Hallucigenia
Hallucigenia (album)
Hallucigenia is a 1994 album by The Lowest of the Low. It was the band's first and only release on a major record label. The album also reveals the source of the band's name, opening with a clip of former President of the United States George H. W. Bush stating "We do not want to be the lowest of...
. Shakespeare My Butt was voted by Canadians as one of the Top 10 Canadian Albums of all time by Chart
Chart (magazine)
ChartAttack is a Canadian online music publication. Formerly a monthly print magazine called Chart, which was published from 1991 to 2009, the web version continues operation....
magazine. The band broke up in 1994.
After The Lowest of the Low broke up, he formed The Leisure Demons. The Leisure Demons recorded a four-song demo containing songs that were later recorded by his next band, The Rusty Nails. In 1995, Ron Hawkins released his first solo album, The Secret of My Excess. The musicians on this release—Lawrence Nichols (vocals), Christopher Plock (saxophones), Michael Kaler (aka Blitz) (bass)—soon became known as The Rusty Nails
Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails
Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails were a Canadian indie rock band in the late 1990s.The band was formed by musician Ron Hawkins out of the sessions for his 1996 solo album The Secret of My Excess, following the breakup of The Lowest of the Low...
, and were joined by Rob Fenton (saxophone, violin), and Mark Hansen (drums). Mark Hansen was a member of the Toronto band Dig Circus
Dig Circus
Dig Circus was a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s. Although popular on the Queen Street West scene in Toronto, the band broke up in the mid-1990s without having achieved mainstream success...
, which was mentioned in a Lowest of the Low song. The Rusty Nails spent much of 1996 and 1997 touring in support of The Secret of My Excess. In September 1998, their first album Greasing the Star Machine was released independently.
The band supported Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, The Violent Femmes, Cracker
Cracker (band)
Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
and Big Sugar
Big Sugar
Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock band, they were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010. The band has sold more than half a million albums in Canada.-History:...
on tours.
In 2000, The Lowest of the Low reunited. They performed a reunion tour, which resulted in the live album Nothing Short of a Bullet
Nothing Short of a Bullet
Nothing Short of a Bullet is a 2001 live album by The Lowest of the Low. The album documents the band's 2000 reunion tour. The title comes from a line in the band's song "For the Hand of Magdalena", Nothing short of a bullet could have broken your will....
. They later recorded another album, Sordid Fiction
Sordid Fiction
Sordid Fiction is a 2004 album by The Lowest of the Low. Apart from three studio songs on the band's 2001 live album Nothing Short of a Bullet, it is the band's first album of new material since 1994's Hallucigenia....
, before splitting up again in 2007. The Lowest of the Low continue to play sporadic shows to this day, including a tour celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their most famous album Shakespeare My Butt
Shakespeare My Butt
Shakespeare My Butt... is a 1991 album by The Lowest of the Low.At the time of its release, the album briefly became the best-selling independent release in Canadian history, although it was eclipsed later the same year by Barenaked Ladies' The Yellow Tape. However, its melodic, jangly folk-punk...
which culminated at Massey Hall on May 7, 2011.
Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
magazine, writing about the album 10 Kinds of Lonely (2009), notes that "the spontaneous results confirm his status as one of our best wordsmiths".
Discography
The Lowest of the Low:- Shakespeare My ButtShakespeare My ButtShakespeare My Butt... is a 1991 album by The Lowest of the Low.At the time of its release, the album briefly became the best-selling independent release in Canadian history, although it was eclipsed later the same year by Barenaked Ladies' The Yellow Tape. However, its melodic, jangly folk-punk...
(1991) - HallucigeniaHallucigenia (album)Hallucigenia is a 1994 album by The Lowest of the Low. It was the band's first and only release on a major record label. The album also reveals the source of the band's name, opening with a clip of former President of the United States George H. W. Bush stating "We do not want to be the lowest of...
(1994) - Nothing Short of a BulletNothing Short of a BulletNothing Short of a Bullet is a 2001 live album by The Lowest of the Low. The album documents the band's 2000 reunion tour. The title comes from a line in the band's song "For the Hand of Magdalena", Nothing short of a bullet could have broken your will....
(2001) - Sordid FictionSordid FictionSordid Fiction is a 2004 album by The Lowest of the Low. Apart from three studio songs on the band's 2001 live album Nothing Short of a Bullet, it is the band's first album of new material since 1994's Hallucigenia....
(2004)
Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails:
- Greasing the Star Machine (1998)
- Crackstatic (2000)
- Airports of the World EP (2001)
Solo:
- The Secret of My Excess (1996)
- Hey Valerie EP (1996)
- Chemical Sounds (2007)
- 10 Kinds of Lonely (2009)
- Straitjacket Love (2011)