Lindsay Earney is one of Minneapolis’ most profound and respected DJ’s in the electronic music scene. Combining elements of deep, influential house with retro electro and modern banging beats, Earney has found most of her adult love and life behind two turntables and mixer. After 90’s mainstream dance music such as Ace of Base lead to the discovery of DJs like Kaskade, Lindsay’s roots dug further into music with a beat.
Earney, dubbed "Heroin Shiek" by long-time friend and current collaborator Michael Elm (Caliber), grew up in rural Minnesota and started going to local bars and clubs in her area, which primarily spun hip-hop. Every so often, a dance track could be heard over the crowd, which made the entire night worth while for the young house-junkie.
Lindsay got her first taste of handling vinyl when she attended a family reunion and became acquainted with her distant cousin, 23-year old Matt Earney. Though only a hobbyist of turntables himself, Matt was able to give Lindsay the foundation skills she needed to turn her love into something real.
Lindsay would later go back to the local clubs for guest-slots alongside other DJs. But unlike her earlier visits, this time she would be in control of the music. “I still had to play what the crowd wanted to hear, which is something DJs have to do their entire career, to some degree,” Lindsay says, “but I could throw in some amazing dance tracks and bring the beats up to get my own little fix throughout the night, and the crowd really got into it.”
Inevitably, the scene in her small town was not enough to satisfy the life-hungry young woman, and Lindsay started making routine trips to Minneapolis for the pulse she needed. After six months of driving an hour and a half both ways to her home away from home, Lindsay met Michael Elm (a.k.a. Caliber), to whom she would form a close bond and equal love for house music. “We clicked right away,” says Michael. “She was trying to hook me up with her friend, and after about 30 seconds, we were pretty sure we were married in a past life.”
The two DJs dreamed of a life inside their music, and plotted to run away to Chicago. Mike moved in May of 2005, and Lindsay had planned on following shortly behind him. But after an untimely accident involving Lindsay’s future residence, Shiek found herself stranded in Minneapolis with her life in a Uhaul and nowhere to go. It was at this turning point that Lindsay's career in music would officially launch.
In the classic tale of "Right Place, Right Time, Right Talent", Lindsay was offered a gig at Barfly in downtown Minneapolis. After weeks of practice and a perfect set, Lindsay was offered a residency at the hip, urban nightclub, and everything went up from there.
Unlike many female DJs within the music community, Lindsay didn't broadcast body nor beauty in order to make her way. She kept her feet planted on the ground, her hands on the decks, and her mind on her music, and gained quick reputation as the next great thing in the Midwest.
Lindsay connected with other DJs in her community, as well as the international acts that passed through town, and had no problem generating a name and a credible image for herself, and her list of contacts and show dates backed her up. She landed regular set times at Barfly, The Lounge, Fahrenheit and other well-established and frequently visited clubs throughout the city.
After several months in the fast-lane of a popular DJ, Lindsay felt the pressures and consequences of being a part of such a illustrious environment. After a long-coming hardship over the 2007 New Year, Lindsay quietly stepped out of the limelight and went on hiatus in St. Paul, Minnesota. She spent time away from the trials of the club scene and, with the help of her music partner, refocused her mentality to center around what she had come to do: music.
"It's hard not to get caught up in the lifestyle that goes with this territory," Lindsay says. "Every day you're surrounded by a party where all your friends are there and they're playing your song. It just got to a point where the party had to stop, and the music had to happen."
Lindsay has since emerged from her breakaway and continued to pursue her passion stronger and harder than before. Lindsay has simplified the unavoidably complicated life of a DJ, having a deconstructed name to be christened for a new direction as "Shiek" by Caliber. Working with Elm and other producers, Lindsay has prepared herself to produce a solid line of songs to be released on an upcoming album, and she has continued to spin live to keep sharp the skills that brought her up and onto center stage.
Living by the moment, Lindsay never knows what each day will bring, but one thing we know for sure is that we can expect great things from the newly renovated Shiek. Her soulful style brings bite and soul to the stagnant genres of the music industry, and we look forward to the guidence her music will bring.
|
