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Although numerous rockers have drawn from epic fantasy, only a handful have truly lived the fantasy way of life. Sure, they might embellish their album sleeves with creatures, imps, chained damsels and muscular warriors, but has an artist ever needed to find a missing unicorn horn from a frost-covered ground in the midst of winter? Did a guitarist spent time straining their eyes in the rear of a road transport, repairing their own metal mesh?

Living the Fantasy

Created in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have dealt with such situations and others as they act out their grand tales. Starting with heraldic, memorable anthems to breathtaking performances, attire styling, visuals and record designs, they’re not just a rock act as a full immersive experience.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a themed musical group,” says vocalist, guitar player, sword-wielder and visionary Riley Pinkerton as the musicians’ transport speeds from a full-capacity concert in Cologne to one more in Aschaffenburg – they have five gigs in the UK currently. “After a couple of performances and received an offer on a October show, where I decided spontaneously to wear a costume. Everything was super-DIY, but we had so much fun and the energy was incredible. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

Development of Castle Rat

After that, the band – which showcases Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” alongside a plague doctor (bassist), aristocratic undead (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of famous rock groups uniting to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that positions them on the edge of greater success.

The Bestiary was a new experience for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her fellow members. “That contributed to a much better project,” she says of the collaborative process. “I struggled at first – There was a sense of a specific level of pride being a woman in music working independently. There have been so many times where after a show and a person will say, ‘The band create awesome guitar parts!’ and I respond, ‘Hey – I composed all that.’”

Artistic Expression and Vision

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scope of their stage presentation. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. Initially, she was on course for a fine art degree before balking at the idea of financial burden. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistry,” she says. “Be it making masks, attire creation, figuring out video editing song visuals … it’s all stuff I have no experience with, but it’s enjoyable to learn as we go.”

As if creating the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments didn’t suffice, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly entrusted her all-new scalemail look to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she grins.

Audience Reaction and Challenges

As for audiences? They embraced the stage blood, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the musicians. “We played a gig in the Motor City and it resembled a Renaissance fair,” recalls Riley fondly. “Everyone was in robes, sheepskin, chainmail.”

However, this doesn’t mean, however, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been smooth. “All our gear is frequently damaged and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I desire the presentation, but we are on the move in a van with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to give the sense like a mythic tale, then compress it into nothing.”

We faced further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled mythic characters. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we performed at a music event in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “That was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an alternative version of the concert where I lack a sword.”

Goals Ahead

As a genuine leader, Riley is gung-ho about the what’s next. “I aim to reach as far as possible – let’s do stadiums,” she says. “The only thing that’s deeply meaningful to me is keeping the self-crafted look, ensuring everything is handmade. It’s a component I want to remain faithful to, no matter what we achieve. Plus, I wish to ride out on a unicorn each show. Think about how some artists ride bikes on stage? That, but on a mythical creature.”