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Although numerous rockers have borrowed from fantasy lore, only a handful have fully embraced the mythical way of life. Admittedly, they might decorate their record jackets with monsters, goblins, chained damsels and strong fighters, but did a member ever needed to find a misplaced unicorn horn from a snowy field in the heart of winter? Did a guitarist spent time peering in the interior of a tour bus, mending their own chainmail?

Embracing the Mythos

Formed in 2019, New York’s Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and more as they embody their heroic dreams. Starting with heraldic, catchy songs to eye-popping concerts, attire styling, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not just a rock act as a complete sensory journey.

“The band wasn’t intended to be a costumed concept band,” explains vocalist, guitarist, sword-carrier and creative overlord Riley Pinkerton as the group’s vehicle travels from a packed show in Cologne to another in Aschaffenburg – they have five gigs in the UK now. “After a couple of performances and were scheduled on a spooky event, where I chose at the final moment to dress up. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had an amazing time and the atmosphere was electric. I thought, ‘Imagine if we could have this much fun always?’”

The Band’s Evolution

From that point on, the band – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a plague doctor (low-end instrumentalist), proud bloodsucker (lead guitarist) and secretive shaman (rhythm keeper) – continued forward. The Bestiary, the band’s second album, conjures visions of classic metal icons uniting to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a epic masterpiece that sets them on the edge of bigger achievements.

The Bestiary was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her bandmates. “That contributed to a much better project,” she says of the group work. “It was challenging at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of pride being a woman in music doing everything solo. There’ve been so many times where I finished performing and a person will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I’m like, ‘Listen – I wrote all that.’”

Creative Output and Ideas

With their growing popularity has grown, so has the breadth of their stage presentation. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton chuckles. She was originally on track for a fine art degree before hesitating at the idea of heavy loans. “The fun thing about Castle Rat is there’s various avenues to apply artistry,” she says. “From creating face coverings, costume design, mastering post-production clips … these are all things I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to discover as we go.”

Even though creating the ensemble’s complex backstory (“People are encouraging me to document it because all the ideas are,” Riley says, indicating her head) and sewing costumes were insufficient, the vocalist taught herself how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she confessedly left her brand-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It’s as if actual armour,” she grins.

Crowd Engagement and Difficulties

What about the crowd? They took to the stage blood, toy blades and handmade props with as much gusto as the musicians. “We played a gig in Detroit and it resembled a medieval event,” reminisces Riley with affection. “Everyone was in robes, sheepskin, chainmail.”

That’s not to imply, though, that touring existence as fantasy adventurers has been plain sailing. “Everything is constantly breaking and gets duct-taped together,” Riley says. “Moreover I come up with numerous thoughts as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we’re traveling in a vehicle with limited room. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a mythic tale, then store it into minimal luggage.”

There have been further organizational challenges that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “There was an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at a music event in the European country and my baggage – which had my blade in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a terrible situation, because there’s not an backup plan of the show where I am without a blade.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is eager about the what’s next. “I want to go to the top – I dream of stadiums,” she says. “The key element that’s really important to me is maintaining the self-crafted look, making sure each detail is crafted by us. It’s a component I want to keep true to, regardless of we grow into. Plus, I wish to ride out on a unicorn each show. You know how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but with a unicorn.”