Elle Cordova
Cordova performing in Minneapolis in 2018
Cordova performing in Minneapolis in 2018
Background information
Birth nameRachelle Cordova
Also known asReina del Cid
Born (1988-03-08) March 8, 1988
Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • acoustic guitar
Years active2008–present
Websiteellecordova.com

Rachelle Cordova[1] (born March 8, 1988) known professionally as Elle Cordova and formerly as Reina del Cid,[2] is an American singer-songwriter and lead of the folk/rock band Reina del Cid formerly based in Minneapolis, now based in Los Angeles.

Early life and education

Cordova was born in Fargo, North Dakota, on March 8, 1988, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from the University of Minnesota in 2010. After graduating from college, Cordova worked as an editorial assistant for University of Minnesota Press.

Career

Cordova adopted the stage name "Reina del Cid" in 2007 for her YouTube channel as a reference to Spanish heroic literature: having nicknamed a guitar "El Cid" after the Castilian nobleman of the same name, she added the name "Reina" ("queen" in Spanish) to become "queen of my guitar."[3][4]

Alongside creative partner and lead guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Toni Lindgren, Cordova has released five studio albums as Reina del Cid: blueprints, plans (credited to "Reina del Cid & the Cidizens") released in 2012; followed by The Cooling in 2015, Rerun City in 2017, Morse Code in 2019 and Candy Apple Red in 2022. The Cooling and Rerun City were recorded at Pachyderm Studios.[5][6][7] Songs from the second album were featured on NPR[8] and Baeble Music.[9] Their subsequent single release, "Death Cap" — along with its accompanying music video, filmed in Iceland — were featured in Paste magazine.[10]

As independent artists, Cordova, Lindgren and the band have developed a significant following — 380,000 subscribers as of October 2023 — on their YouTube channel as well as various social media.[11] They regularly release original and cover songs in their YouTube video series, Sunday Mornings, and frequently tour with singer-songwriters Joshua Lee Turner and Carson McKee.

Their fourth full-length album, Morse Code, was officially released on October 4, 2019, with a concert at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.[12]

In early 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cordova and Lindgren relocated to Los Angeles. Their fifth studio album, Candy Apple Red, was officially released on April 28, 2022, with a concert at the Turf Club in St. Paul.[13]

In July 2023, Reina del Cid "reintroduced" herself as Elle Cordova to reflect new "songs and poems that feel more personal ... than ever before."[14] As a self-professed "English major nerd with a penchant for sci-fi tv shows,"[15] the artist's creative output has frequently included poems, skits, and songs on science, space, sci-fi and literary themes, some of them set to hip-hop beats. A new YouTube channel was launched under the name, and the Reina del Cid channel was renamed "Sunday Mornings HQ" where Cordova and Lindgren continue to post weekly covers and originals. The band's new album will be an Elle Cordova release, while previous material will retain the Reina del Cid moniker.[16]

Band members

  • Elle Cordova – lead vocals and rhythm guitar
  • Toni Lindgren – lead guitar and backing vocals
  • Andrew Foreman – bass
  • Nate Babbs – drums
  • Zach Schmidt – drums (2014–2018)

Discography

  • blueprints, plans – Released September 15, 2012 (Credited to Reina del Cid & the Cidizens)
  • The Cooling – Released June 16, 2015[17]
  • Rerun City – Released December 8, 2017[18]
  • Morse Code – Released October 4, 2019[19]
  • Candy Apple Red – Released April 28, 2022[20]

References

  1. ↑ Allow me to reintroduce myself, retrieved July 16, 2023
  2. ↑ "Fargo native Reina del Cid, making an impact on Twin Cities music scene, comes home to play this weekend". inforum.com. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  3. ↑ "It's her time to shine with popular band". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Prairie Pulse 1306; Nelda Schrupp, Reina del Cid". Prairie Public. November 6, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "From the Horse's Mouth: Reina del Cid on The Cooling". GhettoblasterMagazine.com. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  6. ↑ "How a Netflix 'X-Files' binge inspired Reina del Cid's new album". CityPages.com. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Reina del Cid Store". reinadelcid.bigcartel.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ Boilen, Bob (February 23, 2015). "10 Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Also Loved". NPR. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ Bogart, Aviva (May 29, 2015). "'Sweet Annie' Is Everything Except Sweet". Baeblemusic.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Video Premiere: Reina del Cid – "Death Cap"". Paste. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Reina del Cid". Reina del Cid. Retrieved July 15, 2023 – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Reina Del Cid Album Release Show with Carson McKee". www.thecedar.org. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Reina del Cid Turf Club First Avenue". first-avenue.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Hey all. Please allow me to reintroduce myself". instagram.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Reina del Cid". Patron Hunt. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Allow me to reintroduce myself". youtube.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  17. ↑ The Cooling at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  18. ↑ Rerun City at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  19. ↑ Morse Code at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  20. ↑ Candy Apple Red at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
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