Rivot Q&A: From Candy to Culture
RFB.FM sat down with Rivot Magazine’s James Lamb to discuss the magazine’s DIY origins at a Doylestown candy shop, the sonic architecture of the Philly-Bucks corridor, and the emerging artists you need to know.
RFB.FM: From your start with Evolution Candy to founding independent media zine Rivot, what were your biggest moments of inspiration along the way?
From starting a shop in the heart of Doylestown, we quickly connected with the local community. Literally being three doors down from local staple Siren Records and being huge music fans, let’s just say we’re down there often. When Nomad Supply Company started doing backlot DIY punk shows in 2019, plus everything Joe Montone has been doing since as long as we can remember, from Picnics on Pine, Stage United at the Tile Works, and now the Concerts at the Commons shows, we just felt like the music scene in Bucks County deserved something more than just random personal accounts social media tags and shares. Documenting what is happening in print feels like the missing link.
RFB.FM: Who are/were your major musical influences?
We’re 90’s kids at heart - Grunge and Riot Grrrl are our ride and die, but we’re not exclusive to any music, that’s just our personal preference. Right now, as we’re typing this, Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs “Beg Steal or Borrow” is playing - our playlist is very diverse. What two bands have we seen live the most? L7 and Sleater-Kinney if that tells you anything!
RFB.FM: Bucks County sits in a unique position relative to Philadelphia. How does the built environment around Philly (your favorite venues, the food, the culture) make its way into the sound of the artists you cover?
Bucks County sits in a unique spot - outskirts of Philly with one of our favorite venues Broken Goblet that have amazing shows, but also we love the New Hope scene and everything John & Peter’s is and has been doing. In our opinion, artists are just looking for places to play…and Bucks County has options for sure. In Doylestown, the Tiny Couch Sessions has been doing amazing shows at HopsScotch22.
RFB.FM: What are some of your favorite bands right now? If you were creating the definitive "Rivot Magazine Local Playlist" which artists / tracks would be essential?
An easy one! We’ve connected with so many local acts that we know are not only going places, but deserve more attention:
Predominantly, Oh, Are They? (who we discovered at a Nomad show); their songs are on our shuffle playlist and match right up with everything else we’re listening to, from Tool to Fugazi, Nirvana, Fontaines D.C., you name it, they’re on that level.
Christina Ward - another versatile artist either solo or with her backing band and has a huge following. She’s signed to Bad Catt Records. We were once listening to some streaming station and St. Vincent’s “Flea” was playing - Christina Ward is that vibe, but better!
Sam Ryan (local artist, Lambertville, NJ) - lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Treats, but also local performer; Sweet Pete - straight up rock / garage rock / rockabilly / local talent signed to Nudie Records; and Hyper Violets - a project by Brendan Eckstrom of Circa Survive.
RFB.FM: You’ve mentioned expanding the Rivot Media umbrella. Where is Rivot heading next?
Rivot is here forever. 2026 is predominately focused on expanding the Bucks County Punk Rock Flea Market as a part of Rivot Entertainment as well as starting a Battle of the Bands collaboration with Village Players of Hatboro, plus what we’ve always been trying to do - promote local artists, bands, and venues. A new magazine comes out every month, so we’re always working on interviews, news, and articles. There’s also a few other projects coming down the pipeline that we’re not quite ready to announce just yet, so stay tuned!