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While many musicians have borrowed from epic fantasy, rarely any have truly lived the enchanted way of life. Certainly, they might adorn their album sleeves with ghouls, beasts, manacled maidens and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever have to recover a lost horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the midst of winter? Did a guitarist spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a tour bus, fixing their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and additional ones as they act out their grand tales. Starting with knightly, earworm-heavy tunes to stunning performances, attire styling, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” says singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they are playing several shows in the UK now. “We played two shows and received an offer on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was unforgettable. I thought, ‘What if we could have this much fun at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the band – which features Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands uniting to struggle onward through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that positions them on the brink of greater success.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “It made it a much better project,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of pride as a female in music working independently. There have been numerous occasions where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘The band create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on path for a university studies in art before hesitating at the idea of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express artistic expression,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, attire creation, figuring out video editing music videos … everything is I have no experience with, but it’s enjoyable to discover in the moment.”

As if developing the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a difficult task, though she confessedly left her brand-new scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They took to the fake blood, foam swords and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the group. “We played a gig in Detroit and it looked like a historical festival,” remembers Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in robes, sheepskin, armor.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “All our gear is always failing and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I get numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we tour in a vehicle with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because there’s not an backup plan of the performance where I lack a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “I want to go to the top – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we grow into. Oh, and I wish to appear on a magical horse every night. You know how legends do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”