There were a few fans of The Finn Brothers rubbing their eyes last autumn when the former Crowded House duo played Wolverhampton Civic. The singer with the support band looked just like that actress, Minnie Driver.
 It was no hallucination - it WAS her. The 34-year-old has returned to her first love, music, with her solo debut album Everything Ive Got In My Pocket, and her first headline tour which comes to the Wulfrun in Wolverhampton on February 7 - a world away from her home in Malibu where shes enjoying a rare day off as she speaks to CityLiving: But you know what, Wolverhampton has its wonderful qualities too, she insists. Im just not quite sure what they are... Its quite interesting, the notion of it being in any way a sort of come down playing little clubs, Minnie adds. Its so fantastic to have the opportunity to do that at all; I make tiny independent films, I make really big blockbusters, you just do whats good. Im not afraid of getting up there and showing people that I can do this; I know theres a fair amount of scepticism surrounding actors singing. Minnie has the edge on most of her peers whove had a go at the music business - she was a singer first, playing jazz clubs as a teenager, then signed to Island Records as a member of a sort of Massive Attack type band: We did about half a record, squandered the money they gave us, it was just ridiculous, she laughs. It just totally fizzled out and I went off and made Circle of Friends. That was ten years ago; Driver has gone on to star in a raft of films including recent releases Phantom of the Opera and Ella Enchanted; Grosse Pointe Blank, GoldenEye and Good Will Hunting - for which she was Oscar nominated - as well as more low key TV credits in Knowing Me Knowing You and The Day Today. After breaking up with her last boyfriend, Minnie returned to the comfort of the guitar, penning the songs that would make up her debut album more as a sort of therapy than with any intention of releasing them: My mates were like you should record some of the stuff; basically we made it in the garage for about five thousand dollars, she recalls. We were like sod it, well just put it out on my website or sell it at gigs, it was a never a big plan, so when we did get the deals we got the deals we wanted. I knew it wasnt really going to a major cos I didnt want the pressure, says Minnie, who signed to independent label Zoe Records. Not that they were even particularly interested to tell you the truth - most of them wanted me to write more sort of Sheryl Crow type hits, which I wasnt really prepared to do. Last time around Driver was just the support act; now shes the headliner, and admits to being a little nervous at the prospect despite all her years of experience in the business: If you play every night for a month and a half straight its gonna get a bit easier, but its still frightening, headlining, she admits. We toured in America headlining, and when you step out there and people have paid money to see you play, its quite different, you want to put on a good show and you want people to have a good night out; its scary, definitely. Minnie Driver plays Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall on February 7; her album Everything Ive Got In My Pocket is out now. | 
