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Although plenty of artists have borrowed from epic fantasy, few have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Sure, they might embellish their album sleeves with creatures, imps, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but did a member ever have to find a lost horn from a unicorn from a wintry landscape in the heart of winter? Has anyone devoted hours straining their eyes in the back of a road transport, repairing their own metal mesh?

Immersed in the Legend

Created in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and others as they act out their heroic dreams. From heraldic, memorable tunes to eye-popping concerts, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re more than a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” states singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they’re also doing multiple performances in the UK currently. “We played two shows and received an offer on a Halloween gig, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. The entire setup was highly handmade, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was electric. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment every time?’”

Growth of the Group

After that, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rodent Monarch” together with a plague doctor (bassist), proud bloodsucker (six-string player) and mysterious druid (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. The new record, the band’s second album, evokes images of legendary heavy bands joining forces to fight their path through a Frank Frazetta fantasy world – a grand composition that sets them on the verge of far grander things.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her collaborators. “This helped a more powerful project,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – I’d always felt a particular degree of accomplishment being a woman in music going it alone. There’ve been multiple instances where I’ve got off stage and an audience member will say, ‘The band compose cool melodies!’ and I respond, ‘Listen – I created all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As their fame has increased, so has the scale of their stage presentation. “My philosophy is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton smiles. At first, she had been on track for a university studies in art before hesitating at the idea of financial burden. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s so many different ways to apply artistic expression,” she says. “Be it making masks, outfit planning, figuring out video editing song visuals … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s enjoyable to figure it out as we go.”

As if building the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to record it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and sewing costumes didn’t suffice, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her all-new scale armor design to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she beams.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

What about the crowd? They took to the fake blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We had a gig in Detroit and it seemed like a medieval event,” remembers Riley with affection. “Everyone was in robes, wool garments, armor.”

This isn’t to say, however, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is always failing and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a van with limited room. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a grand epic, then compress it into minimal luggage.”

There have been other logistical problems that didn’t affect legendary fantasy heroes. “There was an ‘disastrous’ moment when we performed at a Portuguese festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my blade in it – got lost,” says Riley. “It was a worst-case scenario, because there is no an backup plan of the performance where I am without a blade.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the future. “My goal is all the way – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s truly essential to me is preserving the DIY aesthetic, guaranteeing each detail is custom-made. This is a feature I want to remain faithful to, whatever we grow into. Oh, and I want to make an entrance on a magical horse each show. Think about how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? The same idea, but using a unicorn.”