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Although numerous musicians have drawn from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the enchanted way of life. Admittedly, they could adorn their album covers with creatures, imps, captive women and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever needed to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Did a performer devoted hours squinting in the back of a tour bus, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with both these scenarios and more as they embody their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, memorable songs to stunning performances, attire styling, music videos and record designs, they’re more than a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-wielder and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport travels from a sold-out gig in a German city to another in another town – they’re also doing several shows in the UK now. “We played two shows and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was electric. I realized, ‘What if we could have so much excitement always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, evokes images of famous rock groups uniting to struggle onward through a mythical painted realm – a heroic opus that places them on the edge of greater success.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “This helped a lot stronger record,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a certain amount of pride as a female in music working independently. There have been multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has expanded, so has the scope of their visual elements. “The saying I live by 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 idea of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express creativity,” she says. “From crafting disguises, costume design, learning how to edit song visuals … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to discover as we go.”

Even though developing the group’s detailed mythology (“The team is pushing me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments wasn’t enough, the vocalist learned on her own how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she admittedly entrusted her brand-new scale armor design to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They embraced the stage blood, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We performed a gig in Detroit and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley fondly. “All attendees was in capes, wool garments, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, though, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I get numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a grand epic, then compress it into a small space.”

We faced further organizational challenges that didn’t affect fictional warriors. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because we don’t have an alternative version of the performance where I am without a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “I want to go all the way – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The only thing that’s truly essential to me is keeping the self-crafted look, ensuring all elements is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to keep true to, no matter what we achieve. Plus, I want to ride out on a mythical beast every night. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? That, but with a unicorn.”