Survivor 46 Finalist Ben Katzman Heads Back to Fiji on Tears On The Beach

Today, perennial underground rock hero, ace shredder, Guerilla Toss pal and recent Survivor 46 finalist Ben Katzman has announced his brand new album, Tears On The Beach. The forthcoming nine-song LP is set to feature the likes of Shannon Shaw of Shannon and The Clams, Mannequin Pussy, illuminati hotties, Survivor 45 winner Dee Valladares and Survivor legend “Coach” Benjamin Wade, aka the Dragon Slayer. Not even 24 hours after this season’s finale, Katzman released “Fire Sprite,” a roaring tower of ripping rock ‘n’ roll by the lord of the axe himself. Featuring harmonies from GracieHorse, “Fire Spite” picks up where the South Floridian music teacher’s journey in Fiji left off: overcoming his own demons and putting himself front and center, leaving the darkness behind for the glow of the flame before him.

Now, the shredding savant is back with “Tears On The Beach,” which features vocals from Shannon Shaw and some brass from “Coach” Benjamin Wade. The entire album is inspired by Katzman’s time in Fiji (check out the tracklist below for nods to his alliance with Charlie Davis, his beloved Siga tribe and contributions from castaways Soda Thompson and Brice Izyah), with “Tears on the Beach” being particularly influenced by the immediate moments after his closest ally, Tim Spicer (who is set to appear on the song “Brotherly Love”), was voted out right before the merge.

“Gone is my number one, the shine to my sun,” Katzman sings, strumming upwards into a harmony with Shaw. “To survive, I must dig deep around these posers in my sleep. Working from the bottom, is this who I am? It’s not the life I wanted, it’s not the life I planned.” In a flash, the full band kicks in, Katzman dives head-first into a white-hot solo and Wade coils a trumpet passage around the chords. “Tears On The Beach” is utterly delectable and heavy, a poignant, gnarly take on a moment broadcast to millions now shaped into a triumphant earworm of universal perseverance. The vibe has spoken, indeed.

“‘Tears On The Beach’ is a song about finding the strength to claw your way out of emotional rock bottom. Whether it’s losing a close friend, or feeling a loss of control in your personal story, ‘Tears’ is ultimately about recognizing that you have control over the spiritual fire within,” Katzman explains. “The song itself features some very close friends old and new who have been part of this crazy journey. The same way Charlie picked me back up in Fiji, the friends who appear on this track picked me back up whenever I was feeling spun out.”

Listen to “Tears On The Beach” and check out the album’s tracklist and artwork below.

Tears On The Beach Artwork:

Tears On The Beach Tracklist:
Dig Deep (ft. members of Mannequin Pussy & Dee Valladares)
Fire Sprite (ft. Graciehorse)
Brotherly Love (ft. Tim Spicer)
The Little Tribe That Could
Buckwild Blindsides (ft. illuminati hotties, members of Mannequin Pussy & Kellie Nalbandian)
Tears On The Beach (ft. Shannon Shaw & Coach Benjamin Wade the Dragon Slayer)
Dumb and Dumber
Final Vibal (ft. Guerilla Toss)
The Vibe Has Spoken (ft. Colleen Green, Soda Thompson & Brice Izyah)