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Although plenty of musicians have taken inspiration from epic fantasy, only a handful have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Certainly, they could decorate their record jackets with ghouls, beasts, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but has any musician ever been forced to find a missing horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Has anyone spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a tour bus, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Established in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with these exact challenges and additional ones as they embody their epic fantasies. From heraldic, catchy anthems to breathtaking concerts, attire styling, videos and album art, they’re not so much a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” explains singer, guitarist, sword-wielder and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a sold-out gig in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they have several shows in the UK this week. “We played two shows and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to wear a costume. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the atmosphere was incredible. I thought, ‘What if we could have so much excitement at every show?’”

Growth of the Group

Since then, the group – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” alongside a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, brings to mind of legendary heavy bands joining forces to fight their path through a mythical painted realm – a grand composition that sets them on the edge of far grander things.

This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she invited input to her bandmates. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the group work. “I had difficulty at first – I often experienced a specific level of accomplishment as a female in music doing everything solo. There’ve been so many times where I’ve got off stage and some guy will say, ‘The other members create awesome guitar parts!’ and I’m like, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

As their fame has expanded, so has the scale of their visual elements. “My philosophy is always that if an effort matters, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on path for a fine art degree before balking at the prospect of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to demonstrate creativity,” she says. “From making masks, costume design, mastering post-production music videos … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to figure it out as we go.”

Even though creating the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to write it down because everything is stored,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to craft metal mesh – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her brand-new scalemail look to a professional in the city. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They took to the stage blood, toy blades and handmade props with similar excitement as the musicians. “We had a concert in the Motor City and it looked like a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in robes, wool garments, metal wear.”

That’s not to imply, however, that life on the road as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Everything is constantly breaking and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I get endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a bus with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to create the impression like a grand epic, then store it into nothing.”

There have been additional practical issues that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “We did have an ‘oh shit’ moment when we performed at a music event in the European country and my luggage – which had my blade in it – was misplaced,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there’s not an different option of the show where I am without a weapon.”

Upcoming Plans

Like a true warrior queen, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “I want to go all the way – we should play large venues,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, making sure all elements is handmade. That’s an element I want to keep true to, regardless of we grow into. Additionally, I want to make an entrance on a mythical beast at all performances. You know how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? That, but with a unicorn.”