However, it soon became obvious that Hunau and Brandt were not getting along with the other members of the band. Being the creative core of Halifax, the two decided to take a chance on a new batch of members. The band added guitarist Adam Charles, bassist Kevin Donlon and drummer Tommy Guindon. Because Hunau and Brandt kicked Matt out of the band, Dan became angered and left the band himself, as Matt was his younger brother. The new line-up pooled their cash to record their second album, similar to the manner in which "Start Back at Start" was created. The result was the yet-again self-produced EP "A Writer's Reference", released on January 25, 2004 by No Milk Records. While Halifax's debut was much more reminiscent of the band's pop punk influences—namely "Taking Back Sunday" and The Starting Line—their new material showcased a more distinctive style, mainly because of the line-up changes they had undergone. The quintet felt they had become a new band and accordingly retired the entire "Start Back at Start" catalog from their live shows. They also toyed heavily with the idea of renaming, but eventually stuck with their already established moniker.