Haile Is Making Music That Is The Foundation Of Himself

Haile Digital Cover 2026 by narcography

It's hard to speak about modern Black British music without mentioning WSTRN. When group members Akelle Charles, Haile Alexander, and Louis Rei released In2 in 2015, it was the song of the summer. It signified the popularity of the growing Afroswing wave in the mid-2010s, peaking at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. The group's success didn't stop there. 

The trio went on to release other songs, including Txtin, Wonder Women, and Ben Ova. Their collaborations include working with artists like Tiwa Savage, One Acen, and Dexts Daps. Whilst WSTRN continued to make a name for themselves in the UK music scene, Haile began working on solo projects. He worked with artists such as GoldLink, Kranium, and Headie One. He most recently won a Grammy for writing Nightmares for Chris Brown's 11:11 album. 

His musical success is unsurprising when you realise that he is the youngest brother of producer PRGRSHN (Stormzy, Burna Boy, Bashy, and Tiana Major9). His home studio is where Haile began experimenting with music as a teenager. For both Haile and PGRSHN, music is in their blood as their father, Iauwata Alexander, was a member of the reggae group Zabandis. The band toured the world with artists such as Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, and Prince Jazzbo.

There wouldn't be WSTRN without the influence of Caribbean sounds such as reggae. It's this music that had a profound effect on Haile. Now, he's released his first solo project, Spare Room, celebrating the music he grew up with. Haile celebrated the launch of his EP with a listening party, hosted by The Floor Magazine. Attendees brought aunties and grandparents to highlight the importance of music in the Caribbean diaspora. One attendee who bought her auntie said listening to Spare Room reminded her of being home.

The Floor spoke to Haile about his EP, making reggae music, and creating music that aligns with your purpose. 

What is a Spare Room?

The name of this EP is not random. To those of us who do not come from a Caribbean household, the concept of a spare room is quite foreign. But a spare room is standard in West Indian homes, and Haile explains that it's more than just a room. 

“Spare Room is something that resonates with a Caribbean household,” he tells me. 

“It's something that signifies the individual journey that everyone will eventually go on. A spare room is like, I guess, a welcoming back. It’s the idea that there will always be somewhere that resonates with you to come back to whenever you're ready to come home. And it's also open and welcome to anyone who wants to be let into our culture, too.”

“In my spare room, there were video games, a lot of pictures, weights, music equipment, and speakers. We had a lot of stuff in there. We would explore it like it was a museum, and every time a guest would come over, I would show them this museum of things in this spare room.”

Haile Digital Cover 2026 by narcography

On making reggae music

Black British music would not exist today without the influential sounds of Caribbean music, such as reggae and lovers' rock. For Haile, those music genres are the pillars of his music today. 

Pure Blue was the first song he worked on, which then gave birth to the larger project. When you listen to Pure Blue, it’s evident that Haile spent his youth listening to artists like Dennis Brown, a prominent figure of lovers rock, a subgenre of reggae. The seven-track EP contains other previously released singles like Half Way, Sativa, and Ms Gina.'

 “So my dad was a reggae musician, and because of that, solely, I'd hear reggae in my house every single day, from a very, very young age, all the time, there'd be all sorts of musical equipment in every room.”

“My mum’s Grenadian and my Dad’s Guyanese. I grew up on Rasta principles as a youth. I went to school in West London. Music was played in my house. 24/7, I grew up on itaI food and still grow up like that now.”

“I was kind of just strictly restricted to listening to a certain type of music and a certain type of vibration. So that's all I knew from a certain age. As I got older, I got to explore a bit more in terms of music, genres, and so on, but from the very beginning, it was strictly regular lovers' rock and reggae.

“It's (reggae music) that is the foundation of myself. And if I were ever going to do something as an individual, it definitely has to start from the root. So I felt like it took a while, but it was worth it, and it's definitely very true to myself, which is why I feel like it's important to start as you mean to go, you know.”

Going from WSTRN to creating solo music

The transition from making music in a group to becoming a solo artist requires more vulnerability. But, Haile says his time in WSTRN gave him the confidence to venture out on his own. 

“I started off in a collective which was WSTRN, and that was like the beginning of my music career, and led into my individual career where I'm at now. I just thought, if I'm gonna do something as an individual, I've got to start from the root, from the foundation, and really execute it that way, and tell my story from the origin.”

“I guess when you're in a collective, you're doing something based on how it aligns with all three of you. With WSTRN, what makes it WSTRN is that there was an alignment in terms of the message, the Sonic, and the purpose. So I feel like, as individuals, we all stand for something different, and as a group, we stand for something as well.

“I feel like, right now, I'm telling my individual story, which doesn’t mean that I can’t do that with WSTRN, but it might be a bit more specific for me.”

“I just think having experience of being in WSTRN has prepared me by making a lot of different music with different people and experimenting with different sounds. I was developing different skills, and as time goes on, I’ve been getting better at crafting my pen.”

Haile Digital Cover 2026 by narcography

On purpose and creating music that feels like home

“It's important to be the most authentic version of yourself. And I think when you are the most authentic version of yourself, consciously just speaking, and you're a voice for something, which means now you have purpose, and you're not just making vibes. I feel like when you start making songs with purpose, they last forever because it's more than just a melody. Yeah, it's actually something that resonates with the person.”

When asked about Haile’s purpose, he says, “I think my purpose is to speak to my truth, tell my story, and uplift people through real-life situations.”

"We can hear this on Big Win when Haile says, “It's so clear this is my destiny.” It appears that Haile is speaking about his purpose within music. 

What listeners can take away from the music.

Listeners can expect to hear a more honest, softer side of Haile than in the music. Whilst the EP sounds distinctly different from a WSTRN project, his vocals remain a prominent feature of the project. “I just want them to feel uplifted. I want people to feel a high vibration, positivity, and a purifying spirit."

Haile Digital Cover 2026 by narcography