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While many rockers have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the enchanted existence. Sure, they may adorn their record jackets with ghouls, goblins, captive women and strong fighters, but has an artist ever needed to recover a lost mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the midst of winter? Did a performer devoted hours straining their eyes in the back of a tour bus, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face such situations and others as they live out their epic fantasies. From knightly, catchy tunes to breathtaking concerts, costume design, videos and record designs, they’re not so much a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” says singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a sold-out gig in Cologne to one more in another town – they are playing five gigs in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

Since then, the band – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a pestilence physician (bassist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and secretive shaman (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, evokes images of classic metal icons joining forces to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the brink of greater success.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “It made it a much better album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a certain amount of satisfaction being a woman in music doing everything solo. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Listen – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on path for a fine art degree before balking at the possibility of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistic expression,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s fun to learn on the fly.”

Even though developing the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer taught herself how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They took to the theatrical gore, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We performed a gig in the Motor City and it looked like a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley with affection. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, armor.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been easy. “Everything is always failing and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I get endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to make it feel like a mythic tale, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We’ve encountered additional practical issues that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the concert where I don’t have a sword.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “I aim to reach to the top – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring all elements is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, whatever we achieve. Additionally, I wish to make an entrance on a magical horse every night. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? That, but with a unicorn.”