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While numerous rockers have drawn from fantasy lore, few have truly lived the enchanted lifestyle. Sure, they might decorate their record jackets with ghouls, goblins, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever needed to retrieve a misplaced mythical horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a road transport, mending their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they act out their epic fantasies. From heraldic, catchy songs to eye-popping performances, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re more than a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a outfit with characters,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a packed show in a German city to a second one in another town – they have five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a plague doctor (bassist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (drummer) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of classic metal icons uniting to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the verge of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “That contributed to a more powerful record,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of accomplishment as a female in music going it alone. I’ve had multiple instances where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the scope of their production design. “My motto is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on track for a university studies in art before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “Be it making masks, costume design, learning how to edit song visuals … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s exciting to learn on the fly.”

Even though creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she admittedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They loved the theatrical gore, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with similar excitement as the musicians. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it looked like a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley fondly. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, armor.”

That’s not to imply, however, that traveling lifestyle as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is constantly breaking and becomes repaired with tape,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an backup plan of the show where I am without a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I aim to reach to the top – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to keep true to, no matter what we achieve. Additionally, I desire to ride out on a unicorn each show. You know how legends ride bikes on stage? That, but on a mythical creature.”