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Although plenty of artists have borrowed from high fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical lifestyle. Certainly, they could adorn their album sleeves with creatures, goblins, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has an artist ever been forced to retrieve a misplaced unicorn horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Has a performer devoted hours straining their eyes in the interior of a traveling vehicle, fixing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and others as they live out their epic fantasies. Starting with heraldic, memorable songs to breathtaking concerts, costume design, music videos and record designs, they’re more than a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in another town – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK now. “We played two shows and got booked on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the energy was incredible. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

After that, the group – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a pestilence physician (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – never turned back. Their latest album, the follow-up record, brings to mind of famous rock groups collaborating to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that positions them on the verge of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “That contributed to a much better record,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a specific level of pride as a female in music going it alone. There have been numerous occasions where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has increased, so has the breadth of their visual elements. “The saying I live by 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 prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “From crafting disguises, costume design, figuring out video editing song visuals … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s fun to learn on the fly.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the vocalist taught herself how to create armor – no mean feat, though she admittedly entrusted her brand-new scale armor design to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They took to the fake blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the group. “We played a concert in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” recalls Riley with affection. “Everyone was in robes, animal hides, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a mythic tale, then store it into nothing.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued fictional warriors. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an different option of the performance where I lack a sword.”

Upcoming Plans

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “I aim to reach as far as possible – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is preserving the handmade style, guaranteeing each detail is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to keep true to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I want to ride out on a unicorn every night. Think about how some artists use vehicles in concerts? That, but using a unicorn.”