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While numerous artists have taken inspiration from high fantasy, few have truly lived the enchanted existence. Admittedly, they might adorn their album covers with ghouls, imps, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but did a member ever been forced to find a misplaced mythical horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Has a guitarist spent time peering in the back of a tour bus, mending their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with these exact challenges and others as they live out their grand tales. From knightly, earworm-heavy songs to eye-popping performances, attire styling, music videos and album art, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitar player, blade-handler and visionary 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 multiple performances in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. Everything was completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the atmosphere was incredible. I thought, ‘How about if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

Since then, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a medic from history (bass player), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the follow-up record, conjures visions of classic metal icons joining forces to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of far grander things.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “That contributed to a much better album,” she says of the group work. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a specific level of pride as a woman in music doing everything solo. I’ve had so many times where after a show and some guy will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As their fame has expanded, so has the breadth of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on track for a university studies in art before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express artistic expression,” she says. “Be it creating face coverings, attire creation, learning how to edit music videos … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to figure it out on the fly.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to document it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer self-educated how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly delegated her brand-new scale armor design to a New York-based specialist. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They loved the stage blood, soft weapons and handmade props with similar excitement as the group. “We had a show in Detroit and it looked like a historical festival,” recalls Riley with affection. “The whole crowd was in cloaks, wool garments, armor.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “All our gear is frequently damaged and ends up fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with countless concepts as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with limited room. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then store it into nothing.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the show where I lack a weapon.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “My goal is all the way – I dream of huge arenas,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, making sure everything is crafted by us. That’s an element I want to stay authentic to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I desire to make an entrance on a magical horse every night. Remember how some artists use vehicles in concerts? That, but on a mythical creature.”