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Although many artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the enchanted existence. Sure, they may embellish their record jackets with monsters, imps, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has an artist ever have to find a missing horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a performer taken the time peering in the rear of a road transport, fixing their own metal mesh?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and others as they embody their grand tales. Starting with medieval-inspired, catchy anthems to breathtaking concerts, attire styling, visuals and album art, they’re not so much a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in another town – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and got booked on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” alongside a plague doctor (bass player), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (drummer) – never turned back. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that places them on the edge of bigger achievements.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her bandmates. “This helped a lot stronger album,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a specific level of pride as a female in music working independently. I’ve had numerous occasions where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the scope of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on path for a fine art degree before hesitating at the idea of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “From making masks, attire creation, learning how to edit clips … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to learn as we go.”

Even though creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her brand-new scale armor design to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They took to the stage blood, soft weapons and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We played a concert in the Motor City and it looked like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, wool garments, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been easy. “Everything is constantly breaking and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a grand epic, then store it into nothing.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I don’t have a blade.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “I want to go to the top – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing each detail is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, whatever we scale to. Oh, and I desire to ride out on a magical horse at all performances. Think about how legends do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”