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Although many rockers have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, rarely any have fully embraced the mythical existence. Certainly, they may embellish their album covers with creatures, imps, captive women and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever needed to recover a misplaced unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the heart of winter? Has a performer spent time peering in the rear of a tour bus, repairing their own armor?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and more as they embody their heroic dreams. From heraldic, memorable tunes to breathtaking concerts, costume design, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not just a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a outfit with characters,” states singer, guitar player, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a packed show in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they are playing five gigs in the UK currently. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to wear a costume. It was all super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was electric. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

The Band’s Evolution

Since then, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a pestilence physician (bass player), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of famous rock groups collaborating to struggle onward through a mythical painted realm – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

This album was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “This helped a more powerful album,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a specific level of pride as a woman in music going it alone. I’ve had numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I respond, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has expanded, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My motto is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on track for a university studies in art before hesitating at the idea of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express artistic expression,” she says. “Be it crafting disguises, outfit planning, figuring out video editing music videos … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to discover on the fly.”

As if creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“The team is pushing me to document it because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the vocalist self-educated how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she admittedly left her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

Regarding the fans? They embraced the stage blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the group. “We had a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley fondly. “All attendees was in cloaks, wool garments, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that traveling lifestyle as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “Everything is always failing and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I get numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a mythic tale, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

We faced further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we played a Portuguese festival in the European country and my luggage – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a nightmare, because we don’t have an alternative version of the concert where I am without a sword.”

Goals Ahead

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is maintaining the DIY aesthetic, making sure all elements is handmade. It’s a component I want to keep true to, no matter what we scale to. Plus, I desire to make an entrance on a magical horse each show. Think about how legends ride bikes on stage? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”