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Although plenty of artists have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, only a handful have truly lived the mythical way of life. Certainly, they may embellish their album covers with ghouls, goblins, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but did a member ever been forced to recover a lost mythical horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has anyone spent time squinting in the interior of a tour bus, fixing their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and additional ones as they act out their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, earworm-heavy anthems to stunning concerts, costume design, music videos and record designs, they’re more than a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a costumed concept band,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they have several shows in the UK this week. “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 highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was unforgettable. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a plague doctor (bass player), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and secretive shaman (drummer) – haven’t looked back. The new record, the band’s second album, brings to mind of famous rock groups collaborating to struggle onward through a heroic art landscape – a epic masterpiece that places them on the edge of far grander things.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “It made it a lot stronger record,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a certain amount of pride as a woman in music doing everything solo. There’ve been multiple instances where I finished performing and an audience member will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on track for a art school education before pulling back at the possibility of so much debt. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, attire creation, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s exciting to figure it out in the moment.”

As if developing the band’s intricate lore (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her completely original scale armor design to a professional in the city. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

As for audiences? They took to the fake blood, toy blades and papier-mache rat skulls with as much gusto as the band. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it looked like a historical festival,” remembers Riley happily. “Everyone was in cloaks, wool garments, metal wear.”

This isn’t to say, nevertheless, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is always failing and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a unique problem to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then store it into a small space.”

We faced other logistical problems that didn’t affect mythic characters. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my weapon in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because there’s not an different option of the performance where I am without a sword.”

Goals Ahead

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is eager about the future. “I want to go all the way – we should play stadiums,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is preserving the self-crafted look, guaranteeing everything is custom-made. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, whatever we scale to. Plus, I desire to make an entrance on a unicorn at all performances. Remember how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? That, but with a unicorn.”