Actress says she's serious about music

MALIBU, Calif., July 17 (UPI) -- British-born actress Minnie Driver said she is serious about her music, too.

Driver has released her second album, "Seastories," the follow-up to her well-received 2004 debut "Everything I've Got in My Pocket." She said she knows there's a novelty appeal but hoped to prove her music is more than a lark.

"Some still think I'm an actress who's trying to sing, and that's just the way it's going to be," Driver said. "My dad always said to me, 'Put your head down, do your work and all these people will shut the heck up in their own time.'

"This is coming from a good place, not a place of greed or a need for more fame -- which I think is what a lot of people think about actors who sing."

Driver, whose screen roles include "Good Will Hunting," "Grosse Point Blank" and "The Phantom of the Opera," plans to tour in support of "Seastories," which features guest appearances by Liz Phair and Ryan Adams and his band, the Cardinals.