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Although many musicians have drawn from high fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the fantasy lifestyle. Admittedly, they may embellish their record jackets with monsters, beasts, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but has any musician ever needed to find a missing horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Has anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a road transport, fixing their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and others as they embody their epic fantasies. Starting with knightly, memorable tunes to stunning performances, costume design, visuals and record designs, they’re not just a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” states singer, guitar player, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a packed show in a German city to another in another town – they’re also doing multiple performances 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. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the atmosphere was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (drummer) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of famous rock groups collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that places them on the verge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a more powerful album,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a certain amount of pride being a woman in music going it alone. There have been multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “My motto is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the idea of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “From crafting disguises, attire creation, learning how to edit song visuals … it’s all stuff I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn on the fly.”

Even though building 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 learned on her own how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she confessedly left her brand-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They loved the theatrical gore, foam swords and handmade props with as much gusto as the musicians. “We played a concert in Detroit and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley fondly. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, wool garments, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, though, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Each item is constantly breaking and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a van with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a grand epic, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been further organizational challenges that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we played a music event in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the show where I don’t have a blade.”

Upcoming Plans

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “I aim to reach as far as possible – we should play huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, making sure everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, no matter what we achieve. Plus, I want to appear on a magical horse each show. Remember how some artists ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”