You Can’t Bit The Hog (2024)

MrBill is a four-piece bluegrass band from the Keene, New Hampshire area.  This project was released in November of 2024 and features a mix of original and contemporary bluegrass music. The band members are Steve “Zuber” Armstrong (acoustic bass), Rich Sullivan (banjo), John Meehan (mandolin, vocals), and Matt Atkinson (guitar, vocals). 

John Meehan is the primary songwriter and his compositions include “Come and Go,” “My Good Old Days,” “Broken Hearted Lover,” “Many Miles To Go,” “Dusty Old Boots,” “The Feeling That I’ve Come to Know,” “Try A Little Harder,” “Homesick, Lonesome and Forlorn,” and the expanded title “You Can’t Bit The Hog That Runs Through House.”

Other songs include Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind,” Sean Camp’s “Dear Departed,” Peter Wernick’s “Just Like You,” Gillian Welch’s “Wichita,” Jack Rouse’s “Some Old Day,” and Jim & Jesse’s “Hard Hearted.” 

Meehan and Atkinson share both lead and harmony vocals. Meehan’s mandolin is a great counterpoint to Sullivan’s banjo and Atkinson’s guitar, while the rhythm is held by Armstrong’s solid bass. Overall, this is a great new project from this New Hampshire group. They give the music a new feel while maintaining the bluegrass roots.