Much like John Butler – a fellow Freo boy that Dave names among his influences – Dave Mann combines a strong tradition of heartfelt songwriting and social consciousness. On his latest album, Heart Over Mind, Dave and his collective of musicians explore the dichotomy between the heart and the mind and what happens when you put the heart first.

‘In order to feel the most fulfilled in your life, it’s probably a safer bet to follow your heart rather than your mind, but it’s always a really difficult thing to do because the way we grow up lends itself more to following the safe and secure pathways,’ says Dave.

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As a musician, Dave Mann has spent most of his professional life avoiding the safe and secure path. And in fact, he attributes much of his success to trusting his gut and listening to his heart.

‘When it comes to actually writing the songs, they come from a very heart-orientated place, things I feel incredibly strong about. I’ve always acted on what feels right in my guts, rather than thinking about things too much and wanting fame and fortune and all that ego-based driving.’

Oftentimes, that approach of writing, singing and living from the heart, has led Dave to become an artist activist. Over the past year, Dave has lent his voice to such causes as homelessness and indigenous rights. Indeed one of the most powerful songs on Heart Over Mind is Reach Out, a song Dave wrote from the perspective of the aboriginal girl whose story inspired the movie Rabbit Proof Fence.

‘It wasn’t something I sat down and went “right, I want to write a song about that.” It just happened. I watched the movie Rabbit Proof Fence and I came out of that movie feeling every emotion all at once,’ says Dave of the inspiration behind Reach Out. ‘It was such a potent mix of things and it was still on my mind the next day. It was a song that came out of nowhere. My keyboard player was jamming on some chords and I just started singing over the top. The words were just coming into my head. It was almost like I was just a vehicle and it was coming from another place.’

For Dave, the National Apology, which came shortly after he recorded Reach Out, was ‘a small but very, very significant step in the right direction’ for reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia. It was also an important reminder for him as a musician to continue to use his voice to call for change and strive for progress.

Or as Dave puts it, ‘I might be influencing five people. I might be influencing 5,000 people, but as long as I’m influencing some people in a good way, I’m doing my job.’

Find out more about Dave Mann Collective at their myspace – www.myspace.com/davemanncollective