Ron Hawkins
Biography

As one of the members of Canada's legendary indie bands, LOWEST OF THE LOW, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist RON HAWKINS has enjoyed many accolades through the years. In 1996, 2000 and again in 2005, Chart Magazine honoured the group's 1991 debut album, Shakespeare My Butt, with spots in the top 10 of the Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time, alongside Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and The Tragically Hip.

After a second Low album in 1994, the band parted ways. Hawkins released a solo album and EP in the subsequent two years.

Forming a fast-paced big band complete with a horn section, Hawkins created three more albums with his new group THE RUSTY NAILS between 1997-2001, one of which, Crackstatic, garnered them the Indie Album of the Year for 2000.

In that same year Hawkins was voted Songwriter of the year by Now magazine’s reader’s poll and the LOWEST OF THE LOW reunited for a series of shows. A live album, a new studio album, and the awarding of the Edge 102.1’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” followed.

After the release of the Low’s third studio album Sordid Fiction, tours of Canada and England, and the declaration of an indefinite hiatus, Hawkins started tinkering with some new songs in the Low rehearsal space, playing all the parts and laying down tracks that would eventually become his 3rd solo record, Chemical Sounds, which was released on January 19th, 2008. A tour of Australia followed along with performances in Canada and the U.S.

In 2008 The Lowest of the Low was inducted into the Canadian Indie Rock Hall of Fame and awarded gold records for their first release, Shakespeare My Butt.

With the completion of his latest solo disc, 10 Kinds Of Lonely, Hawkins is gearing up for a late summer ’09 release.

The country disc was recorded and produced by Hawkins in his basement studio, 55 Below.

Hawkins has been splitting his time between songwriting, performing, and making a living as a painter. He sells his work all over the world from an artist collective web site that he helped found, called VictimlessCapitalism.com.