The Lowest Of The Low

The Lowest of the Low formed in early 1991 in Toronto, rising from the same vibrant music scene that produced such bands as the Barenaked Ladies and Rheostatics. Within six months, Lowest of the Low had gained a rabid local following. In the fall of 1991, the band released their first independent CD, Shakespeare My Butt. When no record labels showed any interest, the Lowest of the Low began touring, selling copies of their disc from the side of the stage. Their reputation grew through word of mouth, and Shakespeare My Butt eventually sold over 10,000 copies, quite a feat for a small Canadian band with no distribution or label support. In 1993, the band signed with LSD, an independent label based in Vancouver, and entered the studio with producer Don Smith to work on their second release. It was later revealed by members of the band that the sessions were filled with tension between bandmembers and Don Smith, making the creative process difficult. When the album was completed, Lowest of the Low chose to terminate their deal with LSD and instead signed a distribution deal with A&M.

Hallucigenia, the Lowest of the Low's second CD, was released in late 1993. After touring across Canada for most of 1994, the members of the band, by now barely speaking to one another, chose to call it quits. For the next six years, the bandmembers worked on various individual projects, while the reputation and popularity of Lowest of the Low continued to grow. In late 2000, the band, perhaps realizing their old band was more popular than their solo projects, regrouped for a series of live dates across Canada. Their reunion tour proved so successful that the Lowest of the Low added more dates and continued to tour through 2001.