Hear ‘Survivor’ star Ben Katzman’s new single with celebrity guests

Ben Katzman brought his love of music to the island when he played Survivor 46, busting out song lyrics and engaging in an epic Metallica vs. Taylor Swift song title battle along the way. And now the certified shredder who made it all the way to the day 26 final Tribal Council is bringing Survivor into his music.

Following the success of his recent “Tears on the Beach” single featuring the talents of three-time Survivor legend and former founding member of Survivor jury super-group the Dragonz Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Katzman is now ready to keep on Survibe-ing with his latest high-octane rocker, and it once again pays tribute to his time in Fiji.

Entertainment Weekly has the exclusive first release of “Buckwild Blindsides,” (in the video player above) which will be available on Katzman’s upcoming Tears on the Beach album, out August 23. The hot new jam not only features Katzman, but some celebrity guests as well. Sarah Tudzin of indie punk heroes Illuminati Hotties appears on the track, as does Kaleen Reading of Mannequin Pussy. Another Survivor fan favorite also makes a cameo as Kellie Nalbandian — the Survivor 45 star/victim of the greatest new-era episode ever — contributes her famous blindside quote to the proceedings.

How did the song — and all those guest-star appearances — come together? Here’s what Katzman told EW:

“I wrote the ‘Buckwild Blindsides’ chorus in my head as a joke as the Hunter vote was unfolding. I remember sitting by the camp site fully depleted while everyone ran around the island pleading their case to not be voted rather than suggesting any moves. So I started singing ‘B-L-I to the N to the D, Blindside anybody but me’ as a mantra to keep chillin’ and keep grooving.

“The overall experience was so overwhelming and insane that the only way to unpack it when I got home was to put this poppy Survivor lullaby over doomy speed metal riffs. I had Kaleen from Mannequin Pussy shred the drums (she’s a huge Survivor fan), and I hit up Sarah Tudzin to sing because no one delivers the tongue-in-cheek pop-punk snark better than the illuminati hotties. Plus, we’ve been homies since we were college dorm room neighbors, so why not shred with your number ones?

“Ironically enough, the Kellie Nalbaddie ‘What the hell, guys?’ quote that was made famous by her blindside didn’t really come into the picture until we were playing this song live and Kellie was in the audience. I dedicated the song to her while we were playing it live in New York and handed her the mic the second it finished and she repeated her classic line. That’s when it hit me…. It should be on the album too!”

EW also reached out to Nalbandian about turning reality TV lemons into rock ‘n’ roll lemonade on her first foray into the world of heavy metal. “I went to Ben’s New York concert after the 46 finale,” she says. “I had no clue he was going to ask me to jump in on ‘Buckwild Blindsides.’ I was front row and Ben ended the song and handed me the mic. In a room full of Ben fans and Survivor fans, it was so much fun to see the reaction to the addition of “What the hell, guys?” to the song live!”

You can see that magic moment where Nalbandian delivered her line at the Mercury Lounge below.

As for showing up on the album, Nalbandian tells EW that “I sent him a recording of me saying ‘What the hell, guys?’ various ways — with anger, sadness, and defeat — and he worked his magic to add it in! It’s such a tongue in cheek way to cap off that song, and I’m honored to have ‘What the hell, guys? memorialized forever in musical form.”

Listen to the new single for yourself at the top of the article and check out Katzman on tour at the following locations.

Ben Katzman tour dates:
8/23/24 – Miami, Fla. at Gramps Wynwood (Album Release)
8/30/24 – St. Pete, Fla. at The Bends
8/31/24 – Sanford, Fla. at the West End
9/1/24 – Tallahassee, Fla. at The Bark
9/3/24 – Macon, Ga. at Fresh Produce Records
9/4/24 – Birmingham, Ala. at Woodlawn Theater
9/5/24 – Atlanta, Ga. at Masquerade
9/6/24 – Raleigh, N.C. at Hopscotch Festival
9/7/24 – Wilmington, N.C. at Reggie’s 42nd Street
9/8/24 – Gainesville, Fla. at Loosey’s Pub
10/12 – Keene, N.H. at Keene, College
10/19 – Miami, Fla. at iii Points Festival

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