🔗 Share this article

Although numerous rockers have borrowed from epic fantasy, rarely any have truly lived the fantasy way of life. Sure, they could embellish their record jackets with monsters, beasts, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but has an artist ever have to recover a missing unicorn horn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Did a performer taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a road transport, repairing their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and more as they act out their heroic dreams. Starting with heraldic, memorable tunes to breathtaking performances, costume design, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a packed show in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and got booked on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to put on an outfit. Everything was completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. I realized, ‘What if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a plague doctor (bassist), haughty vampire (six-string player) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, evokes images of legendary heavy bands collaborating to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the verge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “That contributed to a much better record,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of satisfaction as a female in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has grown, so has the scope of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. She was originally on course for a fine art degree before hesitating at the possibility of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to discover as we go.”

As if building the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the vocalist learned on her own how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her all-new scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They took to the fake blood, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We performed a show in Detroit and it looked like a medieval event,” recalls Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in capes, animal hides, armor.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into a small space.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a music event in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” 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

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is eager about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing all elements is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, whatever we grow into. Additionally, I wish to appear on a unicorn every night. You know how some artists do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”