🔗 Share this article

Although numerous musicians have drawn from epic fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical lifestyle. Certainly, they could adorn their record jackets with creatures, beasts, captive women and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to find a missing unicorn horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Did a guitarist taken the time peering in the rear of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own armor?

Living the Fantasy

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and more as they act out their epic fantasies. From heraldic, catchy anthems to stunning performances, attire styling, videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” states singer, guitar player, sword-wielder and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to another in another town – they are playing five gigs in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. The entire setup was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the feeling in the room was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have this much fun always?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a pestilence physician (bassist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons collaborating to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that positions them on the brink of greater success.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “This helped a much better album,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride as a female in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where I finished performing and some guy will say, ‘The band write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on track for a fine art degree before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s making masks, attire creation, learning how to edit song visuals … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn on the fly.”

Even though building the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the vocalist self-educated how to create armor – no mean feat, though she admittedly entrusted her brand-new scalemail look to a professional in the city. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They took to the stage blood, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the band. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley happily. “Everyone was in cloaks, wool garments, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Everything is frequently damaged and gets repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a van with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a mythic tale, then store it into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my luggage – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because there’s not an backup plan of the show where I don’t have a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “I aim to reach to the top – let’s do huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we grow into. Oh, and I wish to appear on a mythical beast at all performances. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? That, but using a unicorn.”