benrodz: Thank you for agreeing to have me interview you!

lonland: No problem! Always secretly wanted to be interviewed so I'm excited

benrodz: Awesome!
Now you've been a Staff member for about a week now. How is it having such an important role here on Genius?

lonland: It's very gratifying to have been able to make the jump from editor to staff. This past week has been so action-packed with getting to know my new roles and responsibilities, getting to know the rest of the Genius tеam, and working at a level I nevеr did as an editor nor would have even as a moderator, but it's been so exciting and I'm really looking forward to the future with this role.

benrodz: That's so awesome to hear man! I know sometimes people take for granted all of the work and responsibilities that Staff members have. So glad to hear you're settling into your new job!
Have you gotten to meet any of the other Staff members?

lonland: Yeah, I've been working closely with all the other Lyric Associates and been able to interact with a few people who keep Genius running so smoothly behind the scenes! Everyone is so nice and welcoming which helped tremendously in easing my nerves about my transition of roles.

benrodz: That's dope! It's so nice that you've been able to meet some of the awesome people who help keep Genius running! I would love to one day if I'm able to, take a trip to Genius HQ, just so I could get a chance to meet and thank the awesome people who are always helping the community out.
So let's move on to a different subject, how did you discover Genius?

lonland: Visiting HQ is a bucket-list once I'm able to haha. I don't remember exactly how I came across Genius, but I know that I first made my account in May 2018 because I saw Jessie J had just announced the track-list to her album and it hadn't yet been updated on Genius, so I signed up and added the first track, "Oh Lord," but I couldn't add anything else as I didn't have the necessary IQ haha. I think ChloeConlon was the one who swooped in after whitehat me and updated the rest of the track-list.

benrodz: Definitely at the top of my list as well. Ahh okay, Chloe is really the 🐐, she's just about always around to help out! So how did you finally get approached for Editorship?

lonland: Well after a few months on the site, Ewok sent his trademark message to me, but I was really not that committed to Genius at the time to want to be editor so I ignored it lol. Then about a year later I was like, "Nah I'm committed enough for this." So I scoured Genius on how to become an editor and found the page where you can drop your request in the comment section, which I did, and then literally like 2 minutes later, the editor Bismvth messaged me, so I quickly accepted, and then MERLYN messaged me a minute afterwards. The editorship process took quite a long time looking back, but it was thanks to my work on "Rebel" by Kelsey Lu that MERLYN decided to click the button.
I still wasn't very confident in my work for like 4 months after I was made editor, but since maybe September or October I've been taking a lot more pride in the things I annotate.

benrodz: Good old Ewok! I remember him messaging me when I first joined, he was always there for help, advice or if I just wanted to talk. If it wasn't for him, i doubt I would've become an Editor when I did. Bismvth is dope, I've never really gotten to know him, but I know of his work ethic. MERLYN tha 🐐, he's always helping people out, and yeah sometimes the process can be lengthy but it always works out in the end! I feel you on not being so confident in your work, when I first became an Editor i was scared to do a lot of stuff, but after time I settled into it. You have every right to be proud of your work, you've written some amazing annotations!
So aside from being promoted to Staff, what are some of the biggest accomplishments you've achieved on Genius?
lonland: Ooh, well one time I was backhanded by the management of one of my favourite artists of all time, Joy Crookes, after they saw I had uploaded all her Instagram snippets and ASCAP registrations. Panic is an understatement as to how I felt, but I managed to get in touch with Joy herself who was so understanding about everything and offered me free tickets to any shows she has near me in the future. I also managed to interact and help verify up-and-coming UK artist ENNY the other day -- she's got a track with Jorja Smith out that's making waves which is so dope to see. But of course getting staffed is the top of the top, I'm so grateful that such an opportunity came about.

benrodz: Wow that's a very interesting story! I think management can be a bit overprotective at times, luckily you were able to get in touch with the artist herself! That's so dope that she offered you free tickets. It's always cool to be able to help up and coming artists out, I've managed to help a few out myself!
And of course, I'm sure a lot of people have that as one of their goals to achieve
I heard you like to travel, how did you get interested in it?

lonland: Well I've always been slightly nomadic in where I resided -- I was born in England, then moved to the US two years later, then to Scotland three years, then back to the US three years later, and I've been here ever since. I'm personally not the biggest fan of the US, so my passion to travel was always subconsciously fuelled by my desire to leave the US for as long as I could at times. Most of the money I earned at my previous jobs was solely to fund trips I could take, so racking up countries and continents was turned into a fun little game haha.

benrodz: Interesting, moving around from place to place can be difficult. That's pretty cool that you've been able to see how the other part of the world lives. What are some of your favorite places that you've been to?

lonland: Oh that's tough, but I think my top four are (in no order) Helsinki, Finland, then Queenstown, New Zealand, then Tokyo, Japan, and lastly Prague, Czechia. I had such different experiences in each city in terms of who I was with, what the location entailed, the activities I did, and so on.

benrodz: Wow they sound like some really amazing places to visit! What's been your favorite part of traveling to all of these different places?

lonland: Each place was so unique and different in terms of culture, social norms and etiquette, architecture, cuisine, etc, so the culture shock was something weirdly enjoyable. I take satisfaction in being humbled and understanding that the rest of the world is so so so different to the little lens that I'm used to peering through, so the knowledge and new perspectives I took away from those four cities specifically is really memorable.

benrodz: That's truly amazing man!! I'd love to travel myself one day, hopefully if i'm able to save enough money and if I'm able to in the future, I'd definitely like to travel. Did you purchase any souvenirs from the places you've been to?

lonland: Usually I'll try and find a last minute trinket but I usually always forget. I got a retro wall sign in Budapest of one of their famous bridges and in the three places I've lived since that trip, it's always managed to be unknowingly be the first piece of "decor" I hang on the wall lol

benrodz: Haha sounds pretty cool!
So other than traveling, do you have any other hobbies?

lonland: I like to learn languages in my free time, but other than that I really don't have time for anything else! I'm very introverted so I've never been big into sports and I didn't join many clubs in high school either. But once COVID eases up, I need to force myself to partake in organizations and clubs at my university or else I'll be screwed lmao

benrodz: Cool! Ahh okay, I gotcha. I'm introverted myself, i tend to keep to myself quite a bit and I tend not to join in activities, especially where there's a lot of people. I'm kinda shy when it comes to being around a lot of people. lol.
What languages have you learned?
lonland: I don’t consider myself to be fluent in anything but English, but I’m fairly proficient in Spanish and Portuguese, I can read and write a good amount of French and German, and have studied a bit of Polish, Italian, and Catalan. I guess my knack for languages also fuels my travelling hobby as well!

benrodz: That's very cool bro! It definitely comes in handy being able to speak different languages especially when travelling! I want to get to learn some different languages myself, that's another thing to add to my list, lol. Do you have any goals that you want to accomplish?
Either on Genius or in real life?

lonland: I’d love to go to med school but realistically speaking that’s a feat in itself. Right now my goal is just pass this semester lol

benrodz: That's pretty cool! How close are you to passing?

lonland: Well the semester started about three weeks ago but since then I’ve been doing really well which I’m really grateful for. There’s always room for improvement though haha

benrodz: That's good to know, i have faith in you! You'll pass with flying colors, because you're very smart and amazing!
Picking up where we left off. Once you pass this semester, what are your plans?

lonland: In all honesty I have not thought that far ahead haha. I know I'm taking more classes over the summer to earn GPA credits and I'd like to try and get some shadowing or clinical experience under my belt, but at this rate with COVID everything is very unpredictable

benrodz: Ahh okay. That's pretty cool, and yeah COVID is making everything almost impossible to do things.
What's your favorite genre of music?

lonland: I really love soul and jazz. But I'm easy listening to anything -- I'm one of those people who cares more about the lyricism than the sound/production

benrodz: Those are some of the best genres of music!! I gotcha, yeah lyrics are important to me as well. Do you have any favorite soul or jazz artists?

lonland: Amy Winehouse and Billie Holiday for sure. Celeste is also a soul singer I gravitate towards, she just dropped her debut album and it's ethereal. I also love Andra Day and Ari Lennox because women absolutely dominate the industry in my opinion.

benrodz: Haha, both of them are amazing singers!! That's a very interesting statement, I'll have to check out some of the artists you mentioned.
Do you have any favorite movies?
lonland: The first three that come to mind are Booksmart, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Knives Out. I’m more of TV show guy though

benrodz: It's A Wonderful Life is a classic, such a dope movie!!
What are some of your favorite TV shows?

lonland: I'm obsessed with Parks & Rec, New Girl, RuPaul's Drag Race, Schitt's Creek, Derry Girls, and Elite. Usually I tend to just rewatch one of these shows instead of trying to find a new one, I gotta work on that

benrodz: I've never really watched Parks & Rec, although I need to! I've watched a little bit of Schitt's Creek, it was pretty good from what I watched. I've been on a Friends kick myself.
Yeah I'm bad at watching new shows as well.
Do you collect anything?

lonland: Schitt's Creek is so creative and soooo funny, you gotta watch it
I don't collect anything, but my roommate is obsessed with strawberries, so our apartment is full of strawberry-themed decor and trinkets haha

benrodz: I'll definitely check Schitt's Creek out!
haha, it must've taken some getting used to seeing everything strawberry themed!
What's the best concert you've attended?

lonland: 90% of our apartment is thrifted so her strawberry obsession became a fun little thrift store game in the end!
I've been to heaps of great concerts but the top three are St. Vincent, Amber Mark, and Ariana Grande. They all sound the exact same live as they do in audio and their stage presences are all so captivating. I miss concerts

benrodz: Thrift store hunting can be pretty fun!!
oh wow, all three of them are dope! That's awesome that they sound the same live as in the studio!
Ahh, I miss concerts as well! Hopefully this year concerts will make somewhat of a comeback! I can't wait to be able to attend concerts again, even if I have to wear a mask.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.

lonland: There’s not much else to say about me really that hasn’t already been addressed in this interview haha, I’m pretty boring. I’m 19 and a Biology major at Georgia State University, that’s pretty much the only random/relevant info I can think of hehe

benrodz: Good to know. I don't think you've boring, you're pretty interesting!! Just two more things, and that will conclude this interview.
What does your job as lyrics associate on Genius consist of?

lonland: Basically just ensuring that the lyrical content I come across is as accurate as possible! Lots and lots and lots of transcribing and listening to music I wouldn't tend to gravitate towards, which has been super fun for my eclectic music taste

benrodz: Hahaha that sounds like an amazing and very fun job!!
I'm always looking for new music to listen to myself!
One final thing. Do you have any advice for anybody reading this, who want to do/accomplish some of the things that you've done/accomplished?

lonland: I think each thing I've accomplished has been because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. One characteristic that ricochets around each thing I did is patience. Patience is such a dire trait to have and once you learn to just let things happen at the course at which they're happening, everything will start to sail smoothly. In terms of travelling, it sometimes took a year for me to execute a trip; in terms of language learning, I've been studying since 2015 and I'm still content in my proficiencies, in terms of getting this job, it was about a 2 month process and a lot of constantly checking emails and awaiting phone calls, but it was all worth it in the end.

benrodz: Wow that's some really amazing advice man!!
And that concludes our interview.

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