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While plenty of rockers have borrowed from fantasy lore, few have truly lived the fantasy way of life. Sure, they may embellish their record jackets with creatures, imps, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has any musician ever been forced to retrieve a misplaced unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Did anyone taken the time squinting in the rear of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered these exact challenges and additional ones as they live out their heroic dreams. From medieval-inspired, catchy anthems to breathtaking concerts, costume design, music videos and album art, they’re not so much a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” explains vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they are playing several shows in the UK currently. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. Everything was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the energy was unforgettable. I realized, ‘How about if we could have so much excitement always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” joined by a medic from history (bass player), haughty vampire (six-string player) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of classic metal icons collaborating to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that sets them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “It made it a much better album,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a particular degree of satisfaction as a woman in music going it alone. I’ve had numerous occasions where after a show and a person will say, ‘Those guys compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has grown, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. At first, she had been on course for a art school education before hesitating at the prospect of heavy loans. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production clips … these are all things I have no experience with, but it’s enjoyable to figure it out as we go.”

Even though building the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the singer self-educated how to make chainmail – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly left her brand-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They embraced the theatrical gore, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the musicians. “We performed a show in Detroit and it seemed like a medieval event,” remembers Riley with affection. “Everyone was in capes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, though, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been smooth. “Everything is constantly breaking and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a bus with limited room. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into nothing.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an backup plan of the concert where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “My goal is to the top – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing all elements is handmade. That’s an element I want to keep true to, no matter what we achieve. Additionally, I desire to make an entrance on a mythical beast at all performances. Think about how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”