Music and my best friend saved my life, confesses the self-deprecating romantic pop rocker Rod Kim, I became known as the saddest guy with the saddest songs because of the success of my debut...and then I became that. Rod's debut EP All About You: A Singles Collection, Vol. 1 (originally released as a series of digital singles and later released on CD, vinyl record and audio cassette) saw much success and gained both popular and critical acclaim. The collection became a Best Buy Exclusive CD, was featured on the hit video game ROCK BAND for XBox 360, fueled a nationwide tour that crossed the country 3 times in over 75,000 miles and charted as a #1 bestseller in several retail markets. The stress of a whirlwind 300+ date tour tripped Rod into a clinical depression where he became secluded for several months in a rented home on the east coast. Producer Ritchie Rubini was urging him to write a second EP to follow up the success of the first release, but every phone call was left unanswered. After months of broken contact, best friend and bandmate, Vince Cirino, brought Rod out of this bout of depression and back into songwriting. We'd talk about girls, explains Kim, Then we'd write and sing about girls...haha. The resulting collection of songs became Rod Kim's sophomore release To Love And Be Loved with the cheeky subtitle A Couples Collection, Vol. 2. The songwriting duo managed to escape Rod's previous reputation of sad songs and recorded a series of upbeat and hopeful songs. Vol. 2 features appearances and contributions by reggae-ska sensation The Bullbuckers, Find Vienna's Ian Walsh and produced by music veteran Ritchie Rubini. To Love And Be Loved: A Couples Collection, Vol. 2 is available in digital format on iTunes & AmazonMP3 and in physical CD format from Amazon.com, rodkimrocks.com and select Barnes & Noble stores. About To Love And Be Loved: Rod: Really, this is what we're put on this earth for. Everything good stems from that. We love and let others love us. I learned this year that I am loved, and in turn it has helped me to love those around me even more. 1. In Between (feat. The Bullbuckers) Rod: This was one of the first songs that started forming for this project. I was seeing a girl at the time who was awesome, but we had so many differences. As I looked around me, I realized most of these great relationships had a good amount of dysfunction...and I had to laugh. This is a celebratory anthem of dysfunction in all it's glory...haha. Vince: coming soon 2. Girl Just Knows Rod: This was the first song Vince and I wrote together. We share a love for old soul and motown and wanted our 'My Girl' by The Temptations. Even though they sound nothing alike, they share the same spirit as our homage to the wonderful ladies who treat their man right...and not-so-subtly confessing that most of the time the female is right! Vince: coming soon 3. Good For Me Rod: This song is so personal to me. At the same time, it's a celebration for me and the people in my life that are good for me. It was the last song written for this project and came very naturally. I started thinking about how the things I liked (coffee, fast food, etc.) were all going to kill me eventually, but those that loved me were the reason I was still alive. There was not much else to say than, 'Oh, you're good for me!' Vince: coming soon 4. Don't Need Anything Rod: This was the second song I wrote with Vince, and it was effortless, like speaking or breathing. We were talking about girls (again) and how the right one makes you forget about the material things you wish you had. Vince had an old iPhone that was showing it's age and a car he wished he could trade in and a guitar that wouldn't stay in tune. I started sarcastically started singing about a new phone, car, house, etc. and the rest almost wrote itself. Vince: coming soon 5. Hang On Rod: For me, this song is the center of the project. When I wouldn't leave my house and just didn't find a reason to get out of bed each day, I had a best friend who wouldn't give up on me. Th
