The Co-Pilot

Album: There Is No Space for Us (2025)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • By the time a band gets to its 37th album, you might reasonably assume they've said everything they possibly could about alien invasions, parallel dimensions and the inner workings of time-traveling starships. But Hawkwind, the indefatigable godfathers of space rock, are clearly just getting warmed up.

    There Is No Space for Us, released on April 18, 2025, builds on the brooding themes of The Future Never Waits (2023) and Stories from Time and Space (2024), and hurtles even deeper into dystopian, metaphysical territory. Frontman and founding space-druid Dave Brock explained to Uncut magazine that the album explores the idea of "preparing for an Earth without humans," which is not the most comforting concept, but then again, neither was their 1977 album Quark, Strangeness and Charm.

    "It's also about how giant gas planets could be living entities eating other planets, entering the world of black holes and dwarf stars," Brock added. "This could be happening on a giant scale that we humans have no concept of."

    It's Hawkwind, so you nod and go with it.
  • Amid all this swirling interplanetary annihilation and existential panic comes an unexpected - and oddly tender - track: "The Co-Pilot," an eight-minute acoustic-led shape-shifter released as the album's lead single that floats along on a cosmic breeze tinged with bossa nova and celestial melancholy. It sounds less like a space battle and more like watching stars with someone you love.

    And that's exactly what it is. Beneath the shimmer and interstellar drift lies a simple, heartfelt love song. Dave Brock wrote it for his wife Kriss, who also manages the band and, as he told Uncut, is "effectively my co-pilot."

    In a rare departure from the cosmic narrative, Brock explained that while much of There Is No Space for Us deals with existential doom on a galactic scale, "The Co-Pilot" is grounded in real life. It's a tribute to shared journeys, mutual support, and the kind of deep-rooted companionship that no amount of space debris can shake loose.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.