INTERCONTINEN7AL, the international music project that bills itself as the first rock band to record across all seven continents, has released “Lighthouses (Acoustic Remix)”, revisiting a track first featured on its 2022 album Volume 3.
The new version replaces much of the original song’s electronic character with acoustic instrumentation, reflecting the remote collaboration model that has brought together more than 30 musicians from 15 countries since the project emerged during the pandemic.
‘Lighthouses’ Rebuilt Around an Acoustic Sound
The original version of “Lighthouses” began in September 2021 when bandleader Matt Smith, originally from Freehold, New Jersey and now based in Castle Rock, Colorado, experimented with synthesiser effects on his phone.
Smith recorded a one-minute descending bass line in A minor and uploaded it to the group’s shared BandLab folder. His cousin Alex Burke later added piano chords, pushing the composition towards a darker sound.
Smith subsequently developed the track into a duet about a relationship nearing its end, writing the lyrics and vocal melody while drawing on experiences from previous relationships.
The vocal recording eventually used in the finished version was Smith’s first attempt, captured directly through his phone microphone. Becca Drayer joined as the second vocalist, while Argentina-based Gustavo Prida reworked the drum programming.
Polish Bassist Joins Reworked Version
Smith returned to the track in October 2023 with plans for a substantial reconstruction. The original synthesised bass was removed and replaced by a slide Drop D acoustic guitar riff, while the drums were softened to create a brush-kit character.
Polish collaborator Marcin Nawrocki was brought in to record a new bass part. Smith continued revisiting the mix over an extended period before completing the acoustic version.
The resulting recording retains the darker emotional character of the original while moving towards folk-influenced acoustic production.
“You were my beacon, but now our love has weakened,” the duet opens, before reaching its central refrain: “When the lights go out, safe harbor cannot be found, when the lights go out, best swim before we drown.”
Music outlet Alt77 compared the Smith and Drayer pairing to “the equally darkly romantic duets between Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell.”
Remote Project Grew Across Seven Continents
INTERCONTINEN7AL traces its origins to March 2020, when members of Columbia, Maryland-based band Toast began collaborating remotely as pandemic restrictions disrupted conventional music-making.
Smith expanded the project through BandLab’s online collaboration tools, eventually connecting with musicians in 15 countries.
Inspired by the Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways concept, he pursued the idea of incorporating musicians from every continent. That ambition eventually extended to Antarctica, where two researchers contributed parts to the progressive rock track “Manor Hill”.
The project now has seven volumes of original music. Five songs feature instrumentation recorded across all seven continents, with those recordings subsequently compiled on the World Over EP.
Streaming Revenue Directed to Humanitarian Causes
Alongside its unusual recording model, INTERCONTINEN7AL directs all streaming revenue from its music towards humanitarian organisations and charitable causes.
Beneficiaries cited by the project include Stand Up 2 Cancer, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, St John’s Hospice, the International Rescue Committee, International Justice Mission and the GoFundMe COVID-19 Global Relief Fund.
The project has attracted coverage from more than 200 news and music outlets. The Big Takeover has described its approach as one where the songs “speak volumes”, while Earmilk characterised the World Over EP as “an audio journey unlike any other.”
Virtual Band Maintains Borderless Model
INTERCONTINEN7AL currently has no plans to tour, maintaining the remote working model that has defined the project from its beginnings.
Its membership stretches from the United States, Argentina and Poland to the United Kingdom, South Africa, Egypt, Thailand, Japan, Australia and other countries, alongside contributions recorded in Antarctica.
With “Lighthouses (Acoustic Remix)”, the project is applying that international collaboration model to a more stripped-back recording, demonstrating how a band built through digital connections can move between expansive global productions and intimate acoustic arrangements without abandoning its borderless structure.