Kari Lyn Opens a New Chapter With “Killing Time (the Fish Song)”

Self-proclaimed cottage core rockstar Kari Lyn unveils “Killing Time (the Fish Song),” a hopeful, theatrical folk-country rocker marking the beginning of a new era. The first single from an upcoming six-song EP, the track leans into spontaneity, movement, and the small moments that often define a larger shift in perspective. It carries a cinematic energy, equal parts reflective and bright, with a steady pulse that feels like open road travel at golden hour.

The song was written during a summer spent in her hometown of North Rustico, PEI, where she set out to write as much as possible while stepping away from routine life. Surrounded by familiar landscapes and coastal air, she allowed herself the space to observe, create, and revisit her own history.

“I believe I finished 11 songs that summer that I was willing to share,” Kari Lyn explains. “Killing Time (the Fish Song)” was one of them. Being home stirred deeper reflection too. “I was thinking about how proud little Kari Lyn would be and how I’ve become someone she would have looked up to.”

That sense of reflection became a quiet backbone for the track, even as its sound evolved into something more playful and unrestrained. Initially written as an experiment with chord movement and tongue in cheek lyricism, the song gradually took shape after repeated live performances. Audience response made its trajectory clear. “They’ve been asking for it for almost two years now,” Kari Lyn says.

At its core, the track considers how meaning is often found in transition rather than destination. “Life is all about the moments in between,” Kari Lyn explains. “The moments we are ‘Killing Time’ are what make us who we become.” That idea threads through the arrangement, giving the song a sense of motion that never fully resolves, instead inviting the listener to stay inside the feeling a little longer.

Musically, the production embraces that spirit. Built around a descending chorus progression, the track moves with full band momentum and a sense of playful unpredictability. It balances organic instrumentation with a loose, live energy that reflects how it first came together. A last minute addition added another layer of character.

“A few beers deep, I asked if she was available that Thursday and wanted to hop on the song,” Kari Lyn laughs. “She agreed and now we have a killer fiddle part.”

The accompanying lyric video extends the story visually, drawing from footage captured during her Home tour. Shot on a handheld video camera across an 18 show East Coast run with her sister, the visuals capture a sense of motion, friendship, and time passing without urgency. “We were having fun, killing time and making waves,” she says.

Even with its upbeat tone, the song carries an emotional undercurrent rooted in resilience and perspective. “I really hope to inspire people,” Kari Lyn says. “To remind them that it gets better, and not to sweat the petty stuff.” The balance between lightness and depth is part of what defines her approach as a songwriter.

“I’m generally a high energy, happy-go-lucky person,” she adds. “It was about time I released a fun-loving rocker.”

Kari Lyn blends storytelling with rock, country, and folk influences rooted in her upbringing in Prince Edward Island and her current life in Toronto. Raised on maritime folklore and the stories of her grandfather Tommy Gallant, a fisherman known locally for his larger-than-life presence, she developed an early instinct for narrative and character.

At 19, she left home for a short trip that turned into nearly five years of solo travel, collecting experiences that would later inform her songwriting. Her debut album Hit the Ground earned a Music PEI nomination for Rock Album of the Year. She has since collaborated with producers Dan Hosh and Devon Lougheed, refining a sound that balances intimacy with forward motion.

With “Killing Time (the Fish Song),” Kari Lyn introduces the next chapter of her work, an EP centered on acceptance, curiosity, and the spaces between milestones. With the release, she signals a shift toward lighter storytelling while maintaining her grounding in narrative detail and lived experience across past records and performances that continues to shape her evolving creative voice as an artist today.