Reina del Cid

Rachelle Cordova (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Elle Cordova and formerly as Reina del Cid, 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.

As Reina del Cid, she first gained significant attention with a residency from 2013 to 2015 at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, performing every Monday night for nearly two years.

Reina del Cid in 2018Alongside 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. Songs from The Cooling were featured on NPR and Paste, which highlighted the single "Death Cap" and its music video filmed in Iceland. Morse Code was released on October 4, 2019, with a concert at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.

Cordova and Lindgren moved to Los Angeles in early 2020. Their fifth studio album, Candy Apple Red, was released on April 28, 2022, with a concert at the Turf Club in St. Paul.

In July 2023, Cordova "reintroduced" herself as Elle Cordova, releasing material under her name to reflect new "songs and poems that feel more personal." As a self-professed "English major nerd with a penchant for sci-fi tv shows", she has released poems, skits, and songs about 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. Their next album will be an Elle Cordova release; previous material will retain the Reina del Cid moniker.

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. TED presented her as a musician known for online comedy sketches, rhyming spoken-word poetry, and videos celebrating literature, space, technology and nerd culture.

On August 4, 2024, Cordova uploaded to YouTube a cover of Darrell Scott's song "Long Time Gone", and wrote in the description that "We've been a 'long time gone' from this channel temporarily (working on our new album and a few other exciting projects!)".

In January 2025, Elle and Toni ended the Sunday Morning series and started a new one, Full Moon Tunes, in which they post a new cover every full moon.

In March 2025, Cordova's YouTube channel had approximately 670,000 subscribers, with more than 350 videos and over 187 million combined views. Her Instagram account had over 1.2 million followers.

Political views Cordova supports abortion rights; after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she produced a spin on the American patriotic song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" criticizing the decision, calling the justices in the majority "six robed dinosaurs".

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 Rerun City – Released December 8, 2017 Morse Code – Released October 4, 2019 Candy Apple Red – Released April 28, 2022