INSIDE QUADECA'S BABY STEPS: WHERE FATE AND FREE WILL COLLIDE
- Jun 23
- 3 min read
WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS
I remember watching Sliding Doors as a teenager and becoming mildly obsessed with the idea that a single moment could alter the entire course of a life. More than twenty years later, living in London, I still find myself thinking about it whenever I narrowly make it through Tube doors before they close. One second earlier, one second later. A different train. A different conversation. A different life. It's an existential rabbit hole that's easy to disappear into. Fortunately for us, Quadeca has gone there first.
Released alongside an ambitious new music video, Baby Steps explores the role chance plays in shaping who we become. Through parallel narratives and a song that constantly shifts beneath your feet, Quadeca examines the uncertainty of existence with the same curiosity, humour and emotional depth that have become hallmarks of his work.
Entirely self-produced, Baby Steps unfolds like a conversation between anxiety and acceptance. Built around warm acoustic guitar, layered harmonies and unexpected sonic detours, the track initially presents itself as something intimate and reflective before gradually expanding into something much larger.
At its heart sits a surprisingly uncomfortable question: what does it mean to bring new life into a world that often feels uncertain, chaotic and increasingly fragile?
Rather than offering answers, Quadeca leans into the contradictions. The song explores adulthood through the eyes of someone projecting their fears onto a newborn child - a blank slate yet to encounter disappointment, confusion, joy or loss. It's darkly funny in places, deeply vulnerable in others, and consistently thought-provoking throughout.
The accompanying visual, directed by Quadeca alongside longtime collaborator Brendon Burton, pushes those ideas even further. Following two dramatically different life paths, the video contrasts the story of a growing family with that of Quadeca himself as a small-time criminal whose decisions spiral into increasingly absurd territory.
While one narrative centres on care, stability and new beginnings, the other descends into chaos, bad choices and their consequences. Together, they pose a compelling question: how much of who we become is choice, and how much is circumstance?
What makes Baby Steps particularly effective is that it never becomes weighed down by its own philosophy. Despite tackling themes of fate, parenthood, mortality and personal responsibility, there's a playfulness running through both the song and video. Moments of absurdist humour sit comfortably alongside genuine emotional reflection, creating something that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.
Musically, Quadeca continues to prove himself one of the most interesting artists operating between genres. The track shifts seamlessly between indie folk textures, experimental pop, alternative hip-hop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements without ever feeling disjointed. Every twist feels intentional, even when the destination remains unclear.
By the time the song reaches its explosive finale, the effect is overwhelming in the best possible way. Drums accelerate, vocals soar, synths swell and the track erupts into a rush of sound that feels like years of experience compressed into a few fleeting moments.
Much like life itself.
Because that's ultimately what Baby Steps captures so beautifully: the strange reality that none of us really know what comes next. We make decisions, miss trains, take chances, fall in love, make mistakes and keep moving forward regardless.
Somewhere between chaos and control, Quadeca finds meaning not in certainty, but in accepting that we'll never have it. And perhaps that's the most comforting thought of all.
