🔗 Share this article

While plenty of musicians have drawn from epic fantasy, few have genuinely embodied the fantasy lifestyle. Admittedly, they could adorn their album covers with monsters, beasts, manacled maidens and strong fighters, but has any musician ever needed to find a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Did anyone spent time peering in the rear of a tour bus, fixing their own armor?

Living the Fantasy

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have had to face these exact challenges and more as they live out their epic fantasies. From heraldic, earworm-heavy tunes to breathtaking performances, attire styling, music videos and album art, they’re more than a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a themed musical group,” explains vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport drives from a packed show in a German city to another in another town – they are playing several shows in the UK this week. “Initially, we performed twice and got booked on a Halloween gig, where I made a last-minute decision to dress up. Everything was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was incredible. I realized, ‘What if we could have this much fun always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” together with a medic from history (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the follow-up record, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that positions them on the verge of bigger achievements.

The release was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “That contributed to a much better album,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a certain amount of accomplishment being a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been multiple instances where after a show and a person will say, ‘Those guys write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘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 an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on path for a fine art degree before pulling back at the prospect of heavy loans. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate artistry,” she says. “From creating face coverings, costume design, mastering post-production clips … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to discover in the moment.”

Even though developing the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, indicating her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the vocalist learned on her own how to create armor – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They took to the fake blood, soft weapons and handmade props with equal enthusiasm as the musicians. “We had a concert in the Motor City and it seemed like a historical festival,” recalls Riley fondly. “All attendees was in cloaks, animal hides, armor.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to create the impression like a mythic tale, then store it into minimal luggage.”

We faced other logistical problems that would never have plagued legendary fantasy heroes. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a music event in the European country and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because there is no an backup plan of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “My goal is all the way – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is maintaining the handmade style, ensuring all elements is crafted by us. This is a feature I want to stay authentic to, whatever we scale to. Oh, and I want to make an entrance on a mythical beast each show. You know how legends do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”