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Although numerous artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the mythical way of life. Sure, they could adorn their album sleeves with monsters, goblins, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever have to retrieve a missing horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Did anyone spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered such situations and more as they act out their grand tales. Starting with knightly, catchy anthems to stunning live shows, outfit creation, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a packed show in Cologne to another in another town – they have five gigs in the UK this week. “We played two shows and received an offer on a spooky event, where I made a last-minute decision to wear a costume. It was all completely self-made, but we had so much fun and the feeling in the room was incredible. It occurred to me, ‘How about if we could have so much excitement always?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the ensemble – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a medic from history (bassist), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to struggle onward through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the brink of far grander things.

The release was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the team effort. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of accomplishment being a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and a person will say, ‘Those guys create awesome guitar parts!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

With their growing popularity has increased, so has the scope of their visual elements. “The saying I live by is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on track for a university studies in art before hesitating at the idea of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to apply creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s making masks, attire creation, learning how to edit music videos … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

As if creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and making clothing didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her all-new scalemail look to a New York-based specialist. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They loved the fake blood, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the musicians. “We played a show in Detroit and it looked like a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley fondly. “All attendees was in cloaks, sheepskin, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, nevertheless, that life on the road as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “Each item is frequently damaged and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Plus I’ll have numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we tour in a bus with limited room. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then compress it into nothing.”

We faced other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We experienced an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there’s not an alternative version of the performance where I lack a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is enthusiastic about the what’s next. “My goal is as far as possible – we should play large venues,” she says. “The key element that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, ensuring everything is handmade. That’s an element I want to remain faithful to, regardless of we scale to. Oh, and I wish to make an entrance on a mythical beast every night. You know how famous musicians ride bikes on stage? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”