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Although many artists have borrowed from fantasy lore, only a handful have truly lived the enchanted lifestyle. Sure, they could embellish their record jackets with creatures, goblins, chained damsels and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever been forced to find a misplaced horn from a unicorn from a snowy field in the midst of winter? Did anyone spent time squinting in the interior of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own armor?

Immersed in the Legend

Established in 2019, Brooklyn’s Castle Rat have had to face both these scenarios and more as they embody their grand tales. From medieval-inspired, catchy songs to stunning live shows, attire styling, visuals and cover artwork, they’re not so much a metal band as a full immersive experience.

“It wasn’t planned to be a themed musical group,” states singer, guitarist, sword-carrier and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van drives from a sold-out gig in a German city to one more in another town – they have five gigs in the UK now. “Initially, we performed twice and received an offer on a spooky event, where I decided spontaneously to dress up. Everything was highly handmade, but we had so much fun and the energy was electric. It occurred to me, ‘Imagine if we could have such enjoyment always?’”

Growth of the Group

From that point on, the band – which includes Pinkerton as the “Queen Rat” together with a pestilence physician (bass player), aristocratic undead (guitarist) and enigmatic nature priest (percussionist) – continued forward. The new record, the group’s sophomore release, evokes images of legendary heavy bands uniting to battle their way through a mythical painted realm – a heroic opus that positions them on the edge of greater success.

This album was a initial step for Pinkerton in that she welcomed contributions to her bandmates. “That contributed to a more powerful project,” she says of the team effort. “I had difficulty at first – There was a sense of a certain amount of accomplishment being a woman in music working independently. I’ve had numerous occasions where I finished performing and a person will say, ‘The other members write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”

Artistry and Imagination

As the band’s stature has grown, so has the scope of their production design. “My motto is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. Initially, she was on path for a art school education before hesitating at the idea of heavy loans. “The exciting part about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express creativity,” she says. “From creating face coverings, outfit planning, mastering post-production music videos … everything is I don’t know how to do, but it’s exciting to discover in the moment.”

As if developing the group’s detailed mythology (“Everyone’s urging me to write it down because it’s all in here,” Riley says, pointing to her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer taught herself how to make chainmail – a difficult task, though she admittedly entrusted her completely original reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It seems like actual armour,” she smiles proudly.

Fan Response and Obstacles

What about the crowd? They loved the stage blood, foam swords and crafted rodent bones with as much gusto as the musicians. “We had a show in Detroit and it seemed like a Renaissance fair,” remembers Riley happily. “All attendees was in capes, sheepskin, metal wear.”

However, this doesn’t mean, nevertheless, that life on the road as sword’n’sorcery vagabonds has been plain sailing. “Everything is always failing and becomes fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I come up with endless ideas as to how I envision the aesthetics, but we are on the move in a bus with restricted capacity. It’s a unique problem to make it feel like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into a small space.”

We’ve encountered other logistical problems that wouldn’t have troubled fictional warriors. “We did have an ‘uh-oh’ moment when we appeared at SonicBlast festival in the European country and my baggage – which had my weapon in it – got lost,” says Riley. “This became a nightmare, because we don’t have an different option of the concert where I don’t have a weapon.”

Future Ambitions

As a genuine leader, Riley is enthusiastic about the days to come. “My goal is to the top – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s really important to me is keeping the self-crafted look, guaranteeing all elements is handmade. It’s a component I want to keep true to, regardless of we achieve. Plus, I want to make an entrance on a magical horse at all performances. Think about how legends use vehicles in concerts? Exactly that, but using a unicorn.”