Elle Cordova
{{Short description|American singer-songwriter (born 1988)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Elle Cordova
| image = Reina Del Cid First Avenue Minneapolis (26864573768).jpg
| caption = Cordova performing in Minneapolis in 2018
| birth_name = Rachelle Cordova
| alias = Reina del Cid
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|3|8}}
| birth_place = Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
| origin = Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|Folk rock|indie folk|indie rock|bluegrass}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|singer-songwriter}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|acoustic guitar}}
| years_active = 2008–present
| associated_acts = {{Ubl
}}
| website = {{URL|ellecordova.com}}
}}
Rachelle Cordova{{Citation |title=Allow me to reintroduce myself |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h76JgC3iYLc |access-date=July 16, 2023 |language=en}} (born March 8, 1988) known professionally as Elle Cordova and formerly as Reina del Cid,{{cite web |url=https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/fargo-native-reina-del-cid-making-an-impact-on-twin-cities-music-scene-comes-home-to-play-this-weekend |title=Fargo native Reina del Cid, making an impact on Twin Cities music scene, comes home to play this weekend |website=inforum.com |date=February 5, 2013 |access-date=February 4, 2023}} is an American singer-songwriter and lead of the folk rock band Reina del Cid. She is also known for her online comedy sketches, rhyming spoken word poetry, and videos celebrating literature, space, technology and nerd culture. She was formerly based in Minneapolis-St. Paul and is 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 - Twin Cities 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."{{cite web |title=It's her time to shine with popular band |url=http://www.startribune.com/it-s-her-time-to-shine-with-popular-band/185166761/ |access-date=February 25, 2018 |website=Star Tribune}}{{cite web |date=November 6, 2015 |title=Prairie Pulse 1306; Nelda Schrupp, Reina del Cid |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGw1w9BOC40 |access-date=February 25, 2018 |work=Prairie Public |via=YouTube}}
Reina del Cid first gained big attention as a band with a residency at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown St. Paul performing every Monday night for nearly two years from 2013 to 2015. {{cite web |title=Reina Del Cid talks about her musical evolution |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/07/14/reina-del-cid-current-studio-with-weber |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=MPR News}}
File:Reina Del Cid First Avenue Minneapolis (40025583784).jpgAlongside 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.{{cite web |url=http://ghettoblastermagazine.com/2015/from-the-horses-mouth-reina-del-cid-on-the-cooling/ |title=From the Horse's Mouth: Reina del Cid on The Cooling |website=GhettoblasterMagazine.com |date=June 16, 2015 |access-date=December 28, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.citypages.com/music/how-a-netflix-x-files-binge-inspired-reina-del-cids-new-album/462770533 |title=How a Netflix 'X-Files' binge inspired Reina del Cid's new album |website=CityPages.com |access-date=December 17, 2017}}{{Cite web |url=http://reinadelcid.bigcartel.com/ |title=Reina del Cid Store |website=reinadelcid.bigcartel.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122034241/http://reinadelcid.bigcartel.com/ |archive-date=November 22, 2018}} Songs from The Cooling were featured on NPR{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/02/23/385467504/10-tiny-desk-contest-entries-we-also-loved |title=10 Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Also Loved |last=Boilen |first=Bob |date=February 23, 2015 |website=NPR |access-date=June 8, 2016}} and Baeble Music.{{cite web |url=http://www.baeblemusic.com/musicblog/5-29-2015/sweet-annie-is-everything-except-sweet.html |title='Sweet Annie' Is Everything Except Sweet |first=Aviva |last=Bogart |date=May 29, 2015 |website=Baeblemusic.com |access-date=June 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160930220622/http://www.baeblemusic.com/musicblog/5-29-2015/sweet-annie-is-everything-except-sweet.html |archive-date=September 30, 2016}} Paste magazine featured her subsequent single release, "Death Cap", and its filmed-in-Iceland music video.{{cite web |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/01/reina-del-cid-death-cap.html |title=Video Premiere: Reina del Cid – "Death Cap" |website=Paste |access-date=June 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002173645/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/01/reina-del-cid-death-cap.html |archive-date=October 2, 2019}}
She released Morse Code on October 4, 2019, with a concert at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.{{cite web |url=https://www.thecedar.org/listing-2/2019/10/4/reina-del-cid-album-release-show |title=Reina Del Cid Album Release Show with Carson McKee |website=www.thecedar.org |access-date=April 7, 2021}}
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.{{cite web |url=https://first-avenue.com/event/2022-04-reina-del-cid/ |title=Reina del Cid Turf Club First Avenue |website=first-avenue.com |access-date=April 29, 2022}}
In July 2023, Reina del Cid "reintroduced" herself as Elle Cordova to reflect new "songs and poems that feel more personal...than ever before."{{cite web |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CusgpwkvdF5/ |title=Hey all. Please allow me to reintroduce myself. |website=instagram.com |access-date=July 15, 2023}} As a self-professed "English major nerd with a penchant for sci-fi tv shows,"{{cite web |url=https://patronhunt.com/reina-del-cid/ |title=Reina del Cid |website=Patron Hunt |date=March 4, 2023 |access-date=January 6, 2024}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h76JgC3iYLc |title=Allow me to reintroduce myself |website=youtube.com |access-date=July 15, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Garro |first1=Adrian |title=Elle Cordova and Toni Lindgren: Q&A from The NAMM Show 2024 |url=https://rockcellarmagazine.com/elle-cordova-and-toni-lindgren-interview-the-namm-show-2024-new-music/ |website=Rock Cellar Magazine |access-date=April 14, 2024 |language=en |date=February 1, 2024}}
In her April 2024 TED Talk, Cordova presented "Poetry and music that reaches across the digital void", performing her original song "Carl Sagan" and exploring social media and human connection.{{cite web |last1=Cordova |first1=Elle |title=Poetry and music that reaches across the digital void |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/elle_cordova_poetry_and_music_that_reaches_across_the_digital_void?subtitle=en |website=TED.com |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241226211822/https://www.ted.com/talks/elle_cordova_poetry_and_music_that_reaches_across_the_digital_void?subtitle=en |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |date=April 2024 |url-status=live}} TED presented her as a musician known for online comedy sketches, rhyming spoken word poetry, and videos celebrating literature, space, technology and nerd culture.{{cite web |title=Elle Cordova / Writer, musician, comedian/ Personal profile |url=https://www.ted.com/speakers/elle_cordova |website=TED.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226213157/https://www.ted.com/speakers/elle_cordova |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |date=April 2024 |url-status=live}}
As of March 2025, Cordova’s YouTube channel had approximately 670,000 subscribers, with more than 350 videos and over 187 million combined views.{{Cite web |title=Elle Cordova |url=https://www.youtube.com/@ElleCordova |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=YouTube |language=en}} Cordova’s Instagram account had over 1.2 million followers.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/ellecordova/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.instagram.com}} 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.
Political views
Cordova supports abortion rights; following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Cordova produced a spin on the well-known American patriotic song “My Country, 'Tis of Thee” criticizing the Supreme Court’s decision, labeling the justices in the majority as “six robed dinosaurs”.{{Cite web |title=Threads |url=https://www.threads.net/@ellecordova/post/DCM30HsSO1q |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.threads.net}}
Cordova also appeared to react negatively toward Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 United States Presidential Election, saying on Threads she was “still recovering from election-induced vertigo” five days after Trump’s victory.{{Cite web |title=Threads |url=https://www.threads.net/@ellecordova/post/DCM39IiyTqr |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.threads.net}}
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{{AllMusic | id=the-cooling-mw0002848523 | title= The Cooling | access-date= December 29, 2019}}
- Rerun City – Released December 8, 2017{{AllMusic | id= rerun-city-mw0003172527 | title= Rerun City | access-date= December 29, 2019}}
- Morse Code – Released October 4, 2019{{AllMusic | id= morse-code-mw0003319411 | title= Morse Code | access-date= December 29, 2019}}
- Candy Apple Red – Released April 28, 2022{{AllMusic | id=candy-apple-red-mw0003699304 | title=Candy Apple Red | access-date= April 29, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{Official website|https://www.ellecordova.com/}}
- {{TED speaker | id= Elle_Cordova | name= Elle Cordova }}
- {{YouTube|c=UC42GLYQ9Q9z4pEX1anQ9Lzg}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordova, Elle}}
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century American women guitarists
Category:21st-century American women singers
Category:American folk rock musicians
Category:American women singer-songwriters
Category:American comedy YouTubers
Category:American music YouTubers
Category:Musical groups from the Twin Cities
Category:Musicians from North Dakota