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Although numerous artists have borrowed from fantasy lore, rarely any have truly lived the enchanted way of life. Sure, they could embellish their album sleeves with ghouls, goblins, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever been forced to find a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the depths of winter? Has a guitarist spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a road transport, fixing their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have dealt with both these scenarios and others as they live out their grand tales. From medieval-inspired, memorable anthems to eye-popping performances, attire styling, music videos and record designs, they’re not just a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a costumed concept band,” states singer, guitarist, blade-handler and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport travels from a sold-out gig in a German city to a second one in another town – they are playing several shows in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. It was all completely self-made, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was electric. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

From that point on, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (six-string player) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, conjures visions of famous rock groups joining forces to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a heroic opus that sets them on the edge of bigger achievements.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “It made it a lot stronger record,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a certain amount of accomplishment as a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been so many times where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The band write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has grown, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on path for a university studies in art before pulling back at the idea of heavy loans. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, learning how to edit clips … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

As if building the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the singer learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a difficult task, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new scale armor design to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

Regarding the fans? They embraced the theatrical gore, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We played a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a medieval event,” reminisces Riley happily. “The whole crowd was in capes, wool garments, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, though, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been easy. “Everything is always failing and becomes duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a grand epic, then store it into minimal luggage.”

We’ve encountered additional practical issues that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because we don’t have an different option of the concert where I am without a weapon.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is enthusiastic about the future. “I aim to reach to the top – let’s do huge arenas,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, ensuring all elements is handmade. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we achieve. Additionally, I wish to ride out on a magical horse each show. You know how famous musicians use vehicles in concerts? That, but with a unicorn.”