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While numerous musicians have taken inspiration from high fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the fantasy lifestyle. Certainly, they may decorate their album sleeves with monsters, beasts, captive women and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever needed to find a lost horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist taken the time peering in the back of a road transport, mending their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they live out their heroic dreams. From heraldic, catchy anthems to stunning concerts, attire styling, visuals and album art, they’re not just a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” explains vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to wear a costume. It was all highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was incredible. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have so much excitement every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

From that point on, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” joined by a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and mysterious druid (percussionist) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands uniting to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that places them on the edge of far grander things.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her fellow members. “It made it a lot stronger project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of satisfaction as a female in music working independently. I’ve had so many times where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has expanded, so has the scope of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on track for a art school education before pulling back at the idea of so much debt. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to express artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s making masks, attire creation, figuring out video editing clips … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to learn on the fly.”

Even though building the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes wasn’t enough, the singer taught herself how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she confessedly entrusted her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They loved the theatrical gore, soft weapons and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the group. “We performed a gig in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” remembers Riley with affection. “Everyone was in capes, sheepskin, armor.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “All our gear is always failing and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I don’t have a sword.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “My goal is to the top – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the self-crafted look, making sure all elements is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we achieve. Oh, and I desire to make an entrance on a magical horse every night. Think about how some artists ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”