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Elle Cordova

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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 (age 36)
Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
Instruments
  • 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. She was formerly based in Minneapolis and is now based in Los Angeles.

Early life and education

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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

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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]

Reina del Cid in 2018

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

She released Morse Code on October 4, 2019, with a concert at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.[11]

Cordova and Lindgren moved to Los Angeles in early 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their fifth studio album, Candy Apple Red, was released on April 28, 2022, with a concert at the Turf Club in St. Paul.[12]

In July 2023, Reina del Cid "reintroduced" herself as Elle Cordova to reflect new "songs and poems that feel more personal...than ever before."[13] As a self-professed "English major nerd with a penchant for sci-fi tv shows,"[14] the artist has released poems, skits, and songs on science, space, sci-fi, and literary themes, some set to hip-hop beats. She launched a YouTube channel under the new name. The Reina del Cid channel was renamed, first to "Sunday Mornings HQ" and then to "Elle & Toni", where Cordova and Lindgren continue to post weekly covers and originals. The band's new album will be an Elle Cordova release; previous material will retain the Reina del Cid moniker.[15][16]

As of October 2024, their YouTube channel had more than 450,000 subscribers; their 350-plus videos had a combined 131 million views.[17] 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.

Band members

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  • 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

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  • blueprints, plans – Released September 15, 2012 (Credited to Reina del Cid & the Cidizens)
  • The Cooling – Released June 16, 2015[18]
  • Rerun City – Released December 8, 2017[19]
  • Morse Code – Released October 4, 2019[20]
  • Candy Apple Red – Released April 28, 2022[21]

References

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  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. June 16, 2015. 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 Album Release Show with Carson McKee". www.thecedar.org. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  12. ^ "Reina del Cid Turf Club First Avenue". first-avenue.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  13. ^ "Hey all. Please allow me to reintroduce myself". instagram.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "Reina del Cid". Patron Hunt. March 4, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "Allow me to reintroduce myself". youtube.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Garro, Adrian (February 1, 2024). "Elle Cordova and Toni Lindgren: Q&A from The NAMM Show 2024". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  17. ^ "Reina del Cid". Retrieved July 15, 2023 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ The Cooling at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  19. ^ Rerun City at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  20. ^ Morse Code at AllMusic. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  21. ^ Candy Apple Red at AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
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