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While many artists have borrowed from fantasy lore, few have fully embraced the mythical existence. Admittedly, they could embellish their album covers with creatures, beasts, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever have to find a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Has anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the interior of a tour bus, mending their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and others as they embody their epic fantasies. From knightly, memorable tunes to breathtaking live shows, costume design, visuals and cover artwork, 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, guitarist, blade-handler and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle drives from a packed show in Cologne to a second one in Aschaffenburg – they have multiple performances in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to wear a costume. Everything was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the energy was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have this much fun every time?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the ensemble – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” alongside a pestilence physician (bass player), haughty vampire (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (percussionist) – continued forward. The new record, the follow-up record, evokes images of classic metal icons joining forces to battle their way through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that sets them on the edge of bigger achievements.

The release was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “It made it a lot stronger album,” she says of the team effort. “I struggled at first – I often experienced a specific level of accomplishment as a female in music going it alone. There have been multiple instances where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘The band create awesome guitar parts!’ and I respond, ‘Wait – I created all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the idea of so much debt. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to express creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, figuring out video editing clips … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s enjoyable to figure it out on the fly.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“The team is pushing me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the singer taught herself how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a professional in the city. “It’s as if actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They took to the fake blood, toy blades and handmade props with similar excitement as the group. “We played a concert in the Motor City and it looked like a historical festival,” reminisces Riley happily. “All attendees was in cloaks, wool garments, armor.”

This isn’t to say, though, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “All our gear is always failing and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we’re traveling in a van with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a mythic tale, then store it into nothing.”

There have been additional practical issues that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We did have an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my blade in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there is no an backup plan of the show where I don’t have a blade.”

Future Ambitions

In the spirit of a hero, Riley is gung-ho about the future. “My goal is as far as possible – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The only thing that’s really important to me is keeping the DIY aesthetic, ensuring all elements is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we scale to. Plus, I wish to make an entrance on a magical horse every night. Think about how some artists ride bikes on stage? That, but using a unicorn.”