Despite a steady flow of classic live releases, Hawkwind have always kept looking forwards and, with the release of their 35th studio album, they’re now more aware than ever that The Future Never Waits. Mainman Dave Brock discusses the organic process that led to the creation of their topsy turvy concept album.

Words: Julian Marszałek

This beats Zoom any day.

Images: Richard Nash

“People have got brains; they should start using them instead of becoming like the machines that they’re trying to play.”

Dave Brock is in a good mood. Actually, scrub that: Dave Brock is in a very good mood. Unlike our previous encounter (see Prog 124) with Hawkwind’s founder and sole constant member that found him bemoaning what passed for his 80th birthday, Brock is back where he belongs and who he belongs with. And he loves every minute of it.

“We’re all here in the studio,” he says with no small amount of enthusiasm.

And who can begrudge him that? With Hawkwind’s previous two albums being recorded remotely via the less-than-exciting method of file sharing thanks to the global event that brought everything to a grinding halt – that’ll be 2020’s Carnivorous (released under the banner of Hawkwind Light Orchestra) and Somnia the following year – their latest and 35th studio album, The Future Never Waits, finds the band of Magnus Martin (guitars/vocals/ keys), drummer Richard Chadwick, bassist Doug MacKinnon and multiinstrumentalist Tim ‘Thighpaulsandra’ Lewis reunited to stand toe-to-toe in the creative environs of Dave Brock’s home studio on the grounds of his Devonshire farm.

“For this album, we’ve actually all been together,” Brock enthuses. “Being in a room together means we can make a song quite easily. We can come up with a riff, and from that riff we can get an idea and then someone else gets an idea and then it comes together.”