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Although numerous artists have taken inspiration from fantasy lore, rarely any have truly lived the fantasy way of life. Sure, they might embellish their album sleeves with monsters, imps, chained damsels and strong fighters, but has an artist ever needed to retrieve a missing horn from a unicorn from a frost-covered ground in the depths of winter? Did anyone devoted hours squinting in the rear of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own chainmail?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with both these scenarios and others as they live out their epic fantasies. From heraldic, catchy anthems to eye-popping live shows, outfit creation, videos and album art, they’re not so much a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” states vocalist, guitar player, blade-handler and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a packed show in a German city to another in Aschaffenburg – they are playing several shows in the UK this week. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a spooky event, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had an amazing time and the energy was electric. I realized, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Development of Castle Rat

Since then, the band – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a pestilence physician (bassist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (drummer) – never turned back. The new record, the follow-up record, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a grand composition that sets them on the brink of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her fellow members. “That contributed to a lot stronger project,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a specific level of pride as a female in music doing everything solo. There’ve been numerous occasions where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members compose cool melodies!’ and I’m like, ‘Wait – I composed all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the scale of their production design. “My motto is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. Initially, she was on track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the possibility of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply artistry,” she says. “From making masks, attire creation, figuring out video editing clips … these are all things I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to learn in the moment.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“People are encouraging me to record it because everything is stored,” Riley says, tapping her head) and making clothing wasn’t enough, the singer learned on her own how to craft metal mesh – a challenging endeavor, though she confessedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

As for audiences? They embraced the fake blood, soft weapons and crafted rodent bones with similar excitement as the band. “We performed a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in robes, animal hides, chainmail.”

This isn’t to say, however, that traveling lifestyle as mythical wanderers has been plain sailing. “Each item is frequently damaged and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Moreover I get endless ideas as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a bus with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

There have been additional practical issues that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a music event in Portugal and my luggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because there’s not an alternative version of the concert where I am without a weapon.”

Future Ambitions

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I aim to reach all the way – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, ensuring all elements is handmade. This is a feature I want to keep true to, regardless of we scale to. Oh, and I desire to make an entrance on a mythical beast each show. You know how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but with a unicorn.”