Live at Homegrown, Claudelands Oval
14 March 2026
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
PRINS Proves Pop Can Spark Without Drums at Homegrown.
There’s something fascinating about stumbling across an act at a festival when you’re not entirely sure what to expect. That’s exactly the situation when PRINS steps onto the stage at Jim Beam Homegrown, a sleek pop act armed with little more than a bass guitar, a guitarist, and a bank of backing tracks.
No drummer, please don't get me started on that.
Now, as someone who firmly believes drums are the beating heart of live music (I am of course very biased being a drummer myself), I’ll admit my skepticism was already simmering. But festivals are about discovery as much as nostalgia, and PRINS arrives determined to make an impression.
She does it with presence first.
Working the stage with a series of deliberately prissy poses and choreographed confidence, she primes the audience like a pop star who understands exactly how to command attention. But beneath the theatrics lies the real weapon in her arsenal: her voice.
And it’s a good one.
Born in Auckland and later developing her career out of Christchurch, PRINS, real name Alannah PRINS, has built a reputation as a high-energy electro-pop performer blending dance beats with theatrical pop flair. Over the past few years she’s steadily carved out a place on the New Zealand festival circuit, with appearances at events like Bay Dreams and Electric Avenue while also releasing a string of polished pop singles and EPs.
Halfway through the set she pauses for a moment of self-deprecating humour.
“I’m actually from Auckland… I mean Hamilton… Hamilton.”
The crowd smiles. It’s a good line, delivered with just enough awkward charm to break down the invisible wall between performer and audience.
For a pop act built around production and stagecraft, PRINS also shows flashes of the songwriter beneath the glitter. She introduces a brand-new track due out in a couple of weeks, explaining that before music took over her life she worked as a real estate agent, a reminder that the path to the stage isn’t always as glamorous as the Instagram photos might suggest.
Despite the relatively early 6:25pm slot, PRINS effectively serves as the headliner of the Nexus Stage, closing out the platform as its final performer of the day. The crowd gathered in front of the stage is modest in size but undeniably enthusiastic. Festivals can be tough proving grounds for emerging acts, yet those who’ve made their way over are clearly invested, dancing, filming moments on their phones, and nodding along to the rhythm.
Then comes the highlight.
“Follow Me” is one of her songs that has helped establish her internationally, a slick electro-dance track built around an undeniably sticky hook that lingers long after the song ends. The single, co-written with producer Tom Lee of electronic duo Lee Mvtthews, carries that late-night club energy designed for crowded dancefloors.
And in that moment, any doubts about the missing drummer fade a little.
Because pop, at least the modern kind, often lives in the space between live performance and electronic spectacle. PRINS understands that balance. Her set may be minimal in instrumentation, but it’s built for movement, visuals, and personality.
By the time she leaves the stage, you get the sense that this is an artist still very much in the ascent phase of her career. With international songwriting sessions, overseas performances, and a growing Gen-Z fanbase already forming around her glossy pop sound, PRINS is positioning herself as one of the newer faces of New Zealand’s export-ready pop scene.
And even for a drummer-loving rock purist like me…
I have to admit, she’s very good.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
Photography by Paul Marshall
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