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Quadeca has become one of the most fascinating musical success stories to come out of YouTube. After first building an audience online, the California artist has transformed into a musician whose increasingly ambitious releases - from the ghostly concept album 'I Didn't Mean To Haunt You' to the sprawling mixtape 'SCRAPYARD' - have earned him a devoted fanbase willing to follow him wherever he goes next. Now, his focus is on 'Life 1'. 'Baby Steps' offers the first look at the forthcoming album ahead of a summer that includes a slot at All Points East with Tyler, The Creator. It might even mark the end of Quadeca as we know him.
The journey to 'Baby Steps' began when an unexpected train of thought about parenthood became the foundation for the song. "I was in rural Ireland thinking about having children," he explains. "Not sure why, maybe because it was an environment full of families. I was talking to some people my age who are morally against having kids - the kind of people who think it's unfair to bring children into our world and put them through whatever modern life is."
Rather than writing directly about those conversations, he found himself exploring what they represented. "I wanted to write about that, and take that idea further for how it relates to growing up and the absurd, unpredictable nature of how life moulds you into who you are. It was fun to write from the place of a bitter adult projecting all of his fears and uncertainties onto a baby, speaking on their behalf. Going a few steps more silly to paint a picture that feels realer and a bit sadder."
That track opens the door to 'Life 1', although Quadeca has no interest in giving too much away before listeners hear it for themselves. "It's my most addicting album and the most true to me," he says. "I've been good about not saying too much about it because normally when I'm this excited, I go on social media and start yelling about it because I want to make other people excited like me. But I always regret that because it feels impatient and lame and lowkey takes away from the impact of just experiencing it. I'm gonna let everything cook as intended." For anyone convinced they've already pieced together what's coming, he has a simple response: "Everything everybody thinks is completely wrong."
It's a confidence that's come from trusting his own instincts more than ever. While listeners often describe his recent work as increasingly adventurous, Quadeca doesn't necessarily see it that way. "I don't really feel like I'm taking risks," he says. "I have become more comfortable in general with being alive and having free will. I'm just trying to make decisions as freely as possible with no fear or expectations that it needs to check any boxes." That also means accepting that not every song will connect immediately. "More than ever, I am content with the idea of people hating my song at first, and then maybe it clicks. It seems like a little bit of that happened with 'Dark Magic'. I'm sure it will happen more." As for what he hopes fans ultimately take away from this era? "I just hope they have new songs they will always want to listen to."
"I was in rural Ireland, thinking about having children..."
— Quadeca
Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, is that 'Life 1' could also be Quadeca's farewell under that name. "It might be time to retire 'Quadeca' after this album," he says. "I won't stop making music, not at all. I will probably keep making better music, but it may be time to move on from this iteration. I love the idea of quitting while ahead. I've run into what feels like a natural conclusion."
It's a thought that's been shaped by nearly a decade and a half of creating under the same banner. "I have put so much shit out as 'Quadeca' from FIFA videos to YouTube skits to bad albums to good albums, nonstop from the ages of 11-25, everything being completely different. The idea of what 'Quadeca' is has become too blurry and impossible to engage with, so I just don't engage with it anymore. I just make the music, and it says 'Quadeca' on it because that's all I have. Every album is its own thing. With 'Life 1' it feels like a finale."
"It might be time to retire 'Quadeca' after this album"
— Quadeca
Before that finale arrives, there's All Points East. Joining Tyler, The Creator's Victoria Park bill is an opportunity Quadeca is clearly relishing, not least because it gives him the chance to road-test plenty of new material. "So excited," he smiles. "London is my favourite city in general. Now I get to eat good Indian food with my friends and go on a walk, what's better than that? I love doing shows there, and the lineup is incredible. I was especially excited because it's an opportunity to do a bunch of new music." Asked whether he sees a connection between his own career and Tyler's refusal to stay in one lane, he laughs: "Yes, for sure. But lowkey I am in too many lanes, and now nobody can drive anywhere."
Despite mostly experiencing festivals from backstage these days, he's still a fan of what they offer. "Recently, I just go where I'm performing. But festivals are like a nice little buffet, and they can be very inspiring," he says, although he admits hearing multiple stages at once can be distracting. "During my last festival performance, I could hear Alex G performing across from me, and it kept throwing me off because I was like, 'Damn, I love that song'." He's also hoping to catch Jim Legxacy and Danny Brown while he's there. As for anyone seeing Quadeca for the first time this summer? "I haven't planned my sets at all yet. Thanks for reminding me," he grins. "I guess they should expect to see a set that goes a lot of weird places. If my music doesn't click for someone at all, I think the live set makes it make sense. Oh, and also an incredible band. A lot of this shit is just way better live because of them."
Quadeca's single 'Baby Steps' is out now. He'll play All Points East on 29th August; visit allpointseastfestival.com for more information.