🔗 Share this article

Although numerous artists have drawn from epic fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the fantasy existence. Admittedly, they may decorate their album covers with creatures, imps, manacled maidens and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever needed to retrieve a misplaced mythical horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Did a performer taken the time squinting in the rear of a tour bus, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face such situations and more as they embody their heroic dreams. From knightly, memorable tunes to breathtaking live shows, attire styling, music videos and cover artwork, they’re more than a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“It wasn’t planned to be a outfit with characters,” says singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van travels from a sold-out gig in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a October show, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. Everything was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the energy was unforgettable. I realized, ‘How about if we could have this much fun every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a plague doctor (bass player), aristocratic undead (six-string player) and mysterious druid (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that places them on the brink of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “That contributed to a much better album,” she says of the collaborative process. “I had difficulty at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of satisfaction as a woman in music working independently. There’ve been so many times where after a show and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the scope of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. She was originally on path for a art school education before pulling back at the idea of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply artistic expression,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, attire creation, learning how to edit music videos … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

As if building the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist self-educated how to create armor – a difficult task, though she confessedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They took to the theatrical gore, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley with affection. “All attendees was in robes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, however, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been easy. “Each item is constantly breaking and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we tour in a bus with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a mythic tale, then compress it into a small space.”

There have been other logistical problems that would never have plagued mythic characters. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there’s not an alternative version of the concert where I don’t have a blade.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “I want to go as far as possible – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the handmade style, ensuring each detail is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we achieve. Additionally, I desire to ride out on a mythical beast every night. You know how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”