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While numerous artists have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, few have truly lived the enchanted existence. Sure, they could adorn their record jackets with creatures, beasts, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but has an artist ever been forced to recover a lost mythical horn from a wintry landscape in the midst of winter? Has a guitarist devoted hours squinting in the interior of a tour bus, fixing their own chainmail?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and additional ones as they live out their heroic dreams. From medieval-inspired, catchy songs to breathtaking performances, costume design, music videos and record designs, they’re not just a rock act as a total artistic immersion.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-wielder and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to another in another town – they’re also doing several shows in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. Everything was completely self-made, but we had a blast and the energy was unforgettable. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and secretive shaman (percussionist) – haven’t looked back. Their latest album, the follow-up record, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands joining forces to fight their path through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her collaborators. “That contributed to a more powerful record,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a specific level of satisfaction being a woman in music working independently. There’ve been multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I respond, ‘Listen – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has increased, so has the breadth of their production design. “My philosophy is always that if something is valuable, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. At first, she had been on course for a art school education before pulling back at the prospect of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, outfit planning, mastering post-production music videos … everything is I am unfamiliar with, but it’s fun to figure it out as we go.”

Even though developing the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer taught herself how to create armor – a challenging endeavor, though she admittedly delegated her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she beams.

Fan Response and Obstacles

Regarding the fans? They embraced the theatrical gore, soft weapons and handmade props with similar excitement as the musicians. “We performed a gig in Detroit and it resembled a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “Everyone was in cloaks, wool garments, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, however, that touring existence as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been smooth. “Everything is always failing and ends up duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I get countless concepts as to how I desire the presentation, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with only so much space. It’s a fascinating test to give the sense like a mythic tale, then store it into a small space.”

There have been further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my sword in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a nightmare, because there’s not an different option of the concert where I don’t have a blade.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the days to come. “I aim to reach as far as possible – I dream of large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s deeply meaningful to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, making sure all elements is custom-made. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we scale to. Oh, and I desire to ride out on a magical horse each show. Think about how some artists use vehicles in concerts? The same idea, but on a mythical creature.”