Some music projects come and go. Others leave behind something far more lasting. INTERCONTINEN7AL belongs firmly in the second category.
What this extraordinary collective has achieved over the last four years is nothing short of remarkable. Born during the uncertainty of the global lockdowns, what started as a creative outlet between musicians looking for connection quickly grew into one of the most original and inspiring collaborative projects in independent music. Against all odds, INTERCONTINEN7AL brought together artists from every corner of the world and did what very few thought possible: they created music with contributions from all seven continents, including Antarctica.
That alone is an incredible achievement, but what makes this project truly special is the heart behind it. This was never about chasing headlines or setting records. It was about people, creativity, friendship, and the simple but powerful idea that music can bring the world together, even when the world feels furthest apart.
Across seven releases, INTERCONTINEN7AL built a sound that refused to be boxed in. Progressive rock, Latin grooves, acoustic beauty, alternative textures, bossa nova rhythms, and moments of pure rock brilliance all found a home here. Yet somehow, despite the diversity of styles and the many voices involved, the music always felt connected. Honest. Alive. Human.
Their final release, World Over, feels like the perfect closing statement. It captures everything that made this project so unforgettable: ambition, emotion, musical freedom, and a deep sense of unity. And at the center of it all is Love is Everywhere, a beautifully warm and timeless piece written and performed by Argentina’s brilliant Nereo Paulus. With its Beatles-inspired charm and uplifting spirit, it feels like the perfect goodbye, gentle, sincere, and full of hope.
There is something genuinely moving about what INTERCONTINEN7AL has created. In a world that often feels divided, this band quietly proved that creativity has no borders. Their music stands as proof that connection is still possible, and sometimes the most beautiful art comes from people separated by thousands of miles but united by one shared vision.
As this incredible chapter comes to a close, we had the pleasure of speaking with the people behind INTERCONTINEN7AL to reflect on the journey, the friendships, the challenges, and the legacy of a project that has truly changed the meaning of global collaboration in music.
With INTERCONTINEN7AL now reaching its seventh and final release, there is a real sense of closure to this remarkable journey. Looking back, what emotions come with bringing this ambitious global project to its official conclusion?
It’s very bittersweet Danny – incredible to look back at all that the band has achieved with a pretty large group of songs and records that we are proud of. For me personally, I have made so many great friends during this process, and hope to maintain musical connections with them in the years ahead. However, there is a sadness to having it come to an end…but with it being our 7th record, and the fact that there are no active musicians stationed in Antarctica that can participate, it seemed like a fitting time to conclude the project.
INTERCONTINEN7AL began during one of the most uncertain periods in modern history, during the COVID-19 lockdowns. At what point did you realize this was becoming something far greater than a simple remote collaboration experiment?
I suppose to properly answer this question I have to take a step back and explain a bit more how the project all started. As you mentioned, the origins of INTERCONTINEN7AL date back to March 2020, when COVID-19 was just underway. Band members of the local Columbia, Maryland group Toast (myself, Jamie Miller, Ben Gaither, Emily Betz and guest Becca Drayer) were trying to determine how to continue collaborating since we couldn’t get together in person, so we found this application called BandLab. Shortly after, we were uploading drum fills, guitar ideas, and other things with each other. Fast forward to the summer, when we realized that you can share song projects with folks all over the world, and thus opted to publish one of our original “grunge” rock ideas. Within days, we received several vocal submissions, to include California’s Hope Gray’s backing vocals and Argentina’s Gustavo Prida’s lead vocals (sung in Spanish), transforming this song idea Aslin into No Somos De Este Lugar. Marveling at how quick a song become completed, and with participants from outside our country, we continued this process, posting a blues idea for external contributors, and this soon turned into the song When I’m Gone, with Robert James Shoveller from Australia on lead guitar. As we continued to rack up more and more collaborators from different countries and continents, it soon became apparent that it may be possible to see this project of a “worldwide” band to true fruition.
Lyrically, Love is Everywhere feels simple on the surface but carries a strong emotional message underneath. What does that message mean to you personally?
Yes, it’s truly a beautiful song written by our Argentinian bandmate Nereo Paulus. To me personally, the song means to take a pause and appreciate all that surrounds you, and that love is truly all around us. The lyrics focus on the beauty of nature, and it’s almost a meditative quality to the words.
With so many musicians and influences involved across the years, how did you keep the spirit of collaboration alive while making sure each release still felt connected as INTERCONTINEN7AL?
Yes, great question – I think the key is to make everyone feel involved and comfortable to contribute ideas. We had a group chat going in the BandLab messaging feature, which enabled us to keep in contact with each other throughout each of the albums that we created. As I mentioned above, the key aspect to make it feel INTERCONTINEN7AL, in my opinion, is the ability to have musicians from each continent contribute – to include Antarctica. So once that was no longer an option or possibility for us, it seemed like the right time to close the curtain on the project.
The final album includes Love is Everywhere, written and performed by Argentina’s Nereo Paulus, with its unmistakable Beatles-inspired spirit. What made this track the perfect piece to help close the INTERCONTINEN7AL story?
I personally love that this song is on the album, because it in fact was written and initially recorded several years ago. It was one of the first things I heard our bandmate Nereo record, and I immediately asked him if we could try to bring it into our band. It took some time to get it into our catalogue, but it was well worth the wait!
Across your releases, the music moves fluidly between progressive rock, Latin, bossa nova, acoustic, alternative, and hard rock. How important was genre diversity in expressing the project’s global vision?
I think it’s extremely important – if we were to merely focus on one or two subgenres of rock music, we would be truly limiting ourselves and the capabilities that we have with such a wide array of artists. My favorite bands tend to have contributions from all of its members, which help to create a blender effect of genres within albums – and that’s speaking for groups that have maybe 3 to 5 members! So if we’re talking about our group that on average has more than 20 contributors to a record, we really need to make sure we’re not painting ourselves into musical corners!
Virtual collaboration often comes with technical and creative limitations. Were there moments where distance became a challenge, and how did those obstacles ultimately shape the music?
Yes, as you can imagine the biggest challenge was finalizing recording with our Antarctican contributors Stijn and Aymar – and by that I mean working with their respective schedules, since they can be very busy with their important roles at research stations. One song in particular, “Butterflies”, took over a year to complete since it included instrumentation from all 7 continents. Lots of back and forth on WhatsApp regarding riff and progression ideas, mixes, etc.
This project has redefined what international collaboration can look like in modern music. What do you believe INTERCONTINEN7AL has proven about the future of music creation in a digitally connected world?
I think our band has proven the art of the possible – that there really are no limits now when it comes to what a “band” or “group” in music could look like or sound like. I feel like I have found kindred spirits in music who are thousands of miles away from me, and it honestly just blows my mind every time I stop to think about it.
Looking back over the four years it took to complete this journey, what has been the single most rewarding moment for everyone involved?
I cannot speak for everyone, but as the founder of the band, the single most rewarding moment of this entire process (musically speaking) was when we finalized our EP “World Over” – this album includes 5 songs, each of which contain music from all 7 continents. It’s a statement of the essence of the group, and showcases a mix of music styles that is indicative of what our band is all about.
Now that INTERCONTINEN7AL has reached its conclusion, what comes next creatively for the musicians behind it, and do you see this as a final farewell or perhaps the beginning of something new in another form?
For now, I continue to keep in touch with many of my bandmates, and hope that one day I collaborate with them on other projects. Everyone has their own lives, dreams, and artistic goals to pursue, and many are keeping busy with other musical endeavors. I wish them all the best of luck, and I cherish the experience that we had together making this wonderful music.
