2009 would see the first change in the magic bullets line up as guitarist ryan lynch exited the group to pursue his own project (dominant legs). a few months later drummer colin dobrin left the band. magic bullets then recruited well-known punk drummer danny "panic" sullivan. magic bullets opted to self-release their second recording, a four-song 12″ titled lives for romance. “lives for romance” saw a dramatic maturation of the band's sound from “a child…” and despite various lineup changes, shining reviews for the ep encouraged the band to continue writing songs for a second album.