Little Twig Records announces 
the release of HBO’s Prime Minister Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with music by Sofia degli Alessandri (“Red, White, & Royal Blue,” “All Of You,” “Dickinson”), available today. The digital soundtrack is available at Spotify, Apple Music, and other digital platforms. The documentary from Magnolia Pictures, HBO Documentaries, CNN Films and Madison Wells is available to stream now on HBO Max.
Alessandri approached the score for PRIME MINISTER with the intention of capturing the contrasting worlds Jacinda Ardern moved between, the public demands of political leadership and the quiet, often unseen moments of motherhood. To reflect this, she wove together two distinct musical palettes: one rooted in classical instrumentation, with performances by the London Contemporary Orchestra, and another built from ambient textures, analog synths, layered vocals, and the expressive tones of the Guitarviol. Rather than serving as a backdrop, Sofia’s score becomes an emotional guide through the film, echoing its personal lens and enhancing the nuance of Ardern’s story.
Commenting on the score, Sofia says, “The first time I watched a rough cut of what was to become the documentary PRIME MINISTER, I got incredibly emotional. Seeing a fearless woman like Jacinda Ardern, as both a politician and mother, leading her country with kindness and compassion was not something I was accustomed to seeing. To handle being a person in power, and a new mother at that, during years full of considerable and unprecedented world events while remaining so eloquent and elegant set a new benchmark for what politicians could be. As someone who became a mother during the years documented in this film and having lived through some similar experiences to hers in the film, hit me really hard in the most relatable of ways. I knew that the score I composed for PRIME MINISTER would have to encompass these two very distinct, yet interconnected, parts of Jacinda’s life – her political persona and her personal life.
Filmed over the course of a handful of years, the documentary works linearly through Jacinda’s premiership but it’s done in a way that’s somewhat unconventional for documentaries – there aren’t dozens of talking heads, discussing her triumphs and lows, but rather, the documentary is almost entirely narrated by the subject herself and her own voice-overs from an oral journal she kept during her years as Prime Minister. Likewise, the footage is a mix of personal home videos, filmed by her husband Clarke, and videos from news agencies. Musically, this meant the music would have to be more than just an ambient bed- it would have to make sure to shift, capturing the moments in the film more precisely and honestly.
When it was time to compose the score, I attempted to convey this duality in Jacinda’s world by having a slightly more traditional palette for the political and world event sections of the film, which included woodwinds, brass and strings, the latter performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO). To contrast this, the home/personal life moments depicted called for a musical palette that was more textural and ambient, using instruments such as analog/digital synthesizers to create textures and arpeggios, voice to add an interesting layer of texture that tied directly into Jacinda, a Guitarviol (a hybrid instrument akin to a cello + guitar) to create warmth and dynamics, and strings performed in a more ethereal and unconventional way.
With the score, I hoped to help elevate and support the film while further amplifying Jacinda’s humanity.”
Link to the soundtrack: https://s.disco.ac/isdbnnitoncv
Prime Minister tracklist:
- Feeling the Pressure
- Imposter Syndrome
- Beautiful Landscape
- 100 Day Plan
- Belly Bump
- Back to Work
- Baby at the U.N.
- Our Actions
- Christchurch
- Common Values
- A Calm Voice
- Gun Reform
- Shackleton
- No Active Cases
- Eloquent Leader
- Nothing For Granted
- Outbreak
- The Worst Year
- Parliament Occupied
- Women Politicians
- Colliding / Maddening Thing
- Our Democracy
- Steadily Eroding
- Home Alive
- Weird Dreams
- Heart On Your Sleeve
- Optimism is Hope
About “Prime Minister”
In August 2017, in the lead-up to national elections, Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand’s opposition party leader. She had just turned 37. Two frenetic months later, she was Prime Minister. Just before the final vote was in, she discovered she was pregnant. She would become only the second head of state in history to give birth while in office.
Ardern quickly became one of the most recognizable leaders in the world. She drew global attention from people craving a sensitive and compassionate approach to the critical issues of our time. In private, she struggled with being a mother and proving herself to a public skeptical of women’s leadership. A series of crises – the Christchurch massacre, pandemic lockdowns, and disinformation-fueled protests outside Parliament – would test that leadership and the feminine touch she brought to it. She resigned from office in January 2023, shocking her supporters and critics alike.
Going behind the scenes of her administration and her private life, PRIME MINISTER follows Jacinda for seven years as she is catapulted to the top of New Zealand politics, becomes a feminist political icon, resigns suddenly from office and continues to champion the fight against isolationism, fear, and the distortion of truth. Intimate home footage shot by her husband and audio interviews that Jacinda did while in office give us unparalleled access. Along with in-depth contemporaneous interviews, these form the emotional backbone of the story, giving viewers an unfiltered window into her years in power.
The world is at a perilous political crossroads. Trust in institutions, expertise, and liberal democracy itself are under dire strain. Which direction will we go? PRIME MINISTER leaves viewers wondering what the world might be like with more Jacindas at the helm.
About Sofia degli Alessandri
Sofia degli Alessandri, AKA Drum & Lace, is a Florence-raised, London-based musician. A composer for film with degrees from the prestigious Berklee College of Music and New York University, her accolades include work with studios such as 20th Century Studios (‘Rosaline’), Lionsgate (2023’s ‘Cobweb’), NBC (‘Good Girls’ & ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’), AppleTV+ (‘Dickinson’) and Amazon Studios (‘Red, White & Royal Blue’) amongst others. She recently scored the documentary ‘Prime Minister’, which won the Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary at the 2025 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. At the same time, she’s been releasing music outside her scoring work, using her extensive synth collection to find her voice as an electronic producer whose music recalls the likes of Kelly Lee Owens. Her upcoming score will be for Apple TV’s ‘All of You’.
Drum & Lace music takes inspiration from the natural world and is scattered with field recordings, so while the work is largely electronic there is a grounding and organic nature to every track. 2022’s debut album Natura found inspiration in the soil and in rolling hills, while 2023’s Frost EP captured the quiet beauty of winter. Her second LP ONDA, out now via Fabrique Records, is her most dance floor-leaning record to date. It’s inspired by the ocean, with motifs of shells, sand and sisterhood present throughout. The EP Tempora (2025) explores the seasons through the use of voice and synthesizers and was recorded during live sessions in her London studio.
Sofia has shared the stage with artists as disparate, and luminary, as William Basinski, Suzanne Ciani, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, black midi, Sqürl and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, while the stages she’s performed on include revered London venues like Café OTO and EartH, Moogfest, Public Records NY, Slingshot Festival and National Sawdust’s Digital Discovery Festival in the US and Festa Dell’Opera in Italy.
Such variety is proof that Drum & Lace is confidently dipping her toes in electronic music’s different pools. From an intimate and immersive ambient performance to a summer festival stage, Drum & Lace taps into both with ease.
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