Ellie Hino Gets Delightfully Dirty on Her Debut Album Soft Bones
Photo courtesy of Blonde Medicine
There’s something so comforting about a Midwestern accent—and that’s coming from someone who grew up over a thousand miles away in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Granted, we had our share of Midwestern transplants in the Seattle area, but culturally, the Midwest is treated as America’s collective hometown, and as such their pinched vowels and idiosyncratic pronunciations have an inherent warmth to them.
That holds true for Minneapolis-based comic Ellie Hino’s speech, even when she’s telling some of the filthiest jokes you’ve heard in a long time. In fact, the titillating contrast between her wholesome accent and hilariously crass anecdotes is one of the many reasons her debut comedy album, Soft Bones, is a must-listen.
Hino may not be a household name yet, but she’s opened for some over the years: Maria Bamford, Atsuko Okatsuka, Dana Gould, and Bobcat Goldthwait. Listening to Soft Bones just confirms that she deserves to be in such lauded company.
Hino opens up the set with confidence and maintains casual command over the room throughout the album. When she dips into crowd work, she’s conversational, even gently ribbing some audience members and integrating their responses into her bits. It’s clear from the jump that Hino is a pro behind the mic.