While plenty of musicians have drawn from epic fantasy, few have truly lived the mythical way of life. Admittedly, they may embellish their record jackets with creatures, beasts, captive women and brawny barbarians, but has an artist ever been forced to find a missing mythical horn from a snowy field in the depths of winter? Has anyone taken the time straining their eyes in the back of a traveling vehicle, repairing their own chainmail?
Living the Fantasy
Formed in 2019, the Brooklyn-based Castle Rat have encountered both these scenarios and more as they act out their heroic dreams. From knightly, earworm-heavy songs to breathtaking performances, outfit creation, music videos and cover artwork, they’re not so much a metal band as a full immersive experience.
“Castle Rat wasn’t meant to be a costumed concept band,” explains vocalist, guitarist, sword-wielder and artistic leader Riley Pinkerton as the band’s tour van speeds from a full-capacity concert in a German city to a second one in another town – they are playing multiple performances in the UK currently. “We played two shows and were scheduled on a Halloween gig, where I chose at the final moment to put on an outfit. The entire setup was super-DIY, but we had a blast and the feeling in the room was incredible. I thought, ‘How about if we could have this much fun at every show?’”
Growth of the Group
From that point on, the ensemble – which features Pinkerton as the “Rat Queen” joined by a medic from history (bass player), proud bloodsucker (guitarist) and secretive shaman (drummer) – never turned back. The Bestiary, the group’s sophomore release, conjures visions of legendary heavy bands collaborating to battle their way through a heroic art landscape – a heroic opus that positions them on the brink of bigger achievements.
This album was a first for Pinkerton in that she opened the floor to her collaborators. “This helped a more powerful record,” she says of the collaborative process. “It was challenging at first – I often experienced a certain amount of accomplishment as a woman in music going it alone. There have been so many times where after a show and an audience member will say, ‘The band write great riffs!’ and I think, ‘Hey – I wrote all that.’”
Creative Output and Ideas
With their growing popularity has grown, so has the scope of their production design. “The saying I live by is always that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing,” Pinkerton laughs. At first, she had been on course for a art school education before balking at the possibility of financial burden. “What’s enjoyable about Castle Rat is there’s numerous methods to express artistry,” she says. “Whether it’s crafting disguises, costume design, mastering post-production song visuals … it’s all stuff I am unfamiliar with, but it’s exciting to figure it out in the moment.”
As if building the band’s intricate lore (“People are encouraging me to record it because it’s all in here,” Riley says, tapping her head) and stitching garments were insufficient, the singer learned on her own how to make chainmail – no mean feat, though she admittedly delegated her all-new reptilian-inspired outfit to a expert from NYC. “It feels like actual armour,” she beams.
Crowd Engagement and Difficulties
What about the crowd? They loved the theatrical gore, toy blades and crafted rodent bones with equal enthusiasm as the band. “We had a concert in Detroit and it resembled a historical festival,” reminisces Riley with affection. “All attendees was in robes, animal hides, metal wear.”
However, this doesn’t mean, though, that touring existence as mythical wanderers has been easy. “Each item is always failing and gets fixed temporarily,” Riley says. “Additionally I’ll have endless ideas as to how I want things to look, but we are on the move in a van with only so much space. It’s an interesting challenge to give the sense like a larger-than-life story, then pack it down into minimal luggage.”
We’ve encountered other logistical problems that would never have plagued mythic characters. “There was an ‘oh shit’ moment when we appeared at a Portuguese festival in Portugal and my suitcase – which had my blade in it – went missing,” says Riley. “It was a terrible situation, because we don’t have an different option of the performance where I don’t have a sword.”
Goals Ahead
Like a true warrior queen, Riley is eager about the future. “My goal is to the top – let’s do large venues,” she says. “The main aspect that’s truly essential to me is keeping the handmade style, ensuring everything is handmade. It’s a component I want to keep true to, no matter what we scale to. Oh, and I wish to appear on a unicorn at all performances. You know how famous musicians do the motorcycle thing? Exactly that, but on a mythical creature.”
