Rockin' new role for Laurence Fox

IF Loopallu-bound singer songwriter Laurence Fox looks like the actor who plays ITV Lewis detective James Hathaway, that’s because he is.

And should you spot his car on the road up, the main clue to his pre-festival solo dates will be the guitar on the front seat of his car.

To be honest, you might notice the car first – a Morgan sportscar in metallic midnight blue hired for Laurence by his thoughtful acting agent.

The story behind it is less glamorous.

But like the fact Laurence does our interview while clearing up some dog poo left by the family’s Jack Russells, it’s just another example of how the actor married to Billie Piper is keeping it real.

“I had to sell my car because it was that age when soon you can’t sell it.

“And I can’t really take my wife’s car, she’ll need it.”

The six-date Highland tour follows the release of Laurence’s debut EP, Sorry For My Words.

Drily he comments on Twitter: “Wow, lots of people bought EP, thankyou. I shall be shopping for a Lear Jet in the morning ...”

Actually, he’s more of a motorbiker than anything else.

“But I don’t fancy doing the journey on a bike, especially not with a guitar on my back. I’m not crazy!”

He already loves the area: “We came to Scotland at the beginning of this year and it was the best holiday we’ve ever had. A friend of ours has a tiny cottage on the shores of Loch Ness – so we flew up, our phones didn’t work and we had a really nice time!”

Laurence is on a break from hit ITV Morse spin-off Lewis.

“We never said we were giving it up,” he laughed.

“They’re never going to end it – too many people watch it and I do love that job, so I’d never ever say never. We just wanted to do something else for a bit.”

But it seems that the music in Laurence’s life has been as long-term a fixture as his acting.

“I probably first picked up a guitar when I was 20 and started doing it more once I realised that acting at the best of times is only half or three quarters of the year.

“Then it all sort of snowballed.

“I’ve played Glastonbury this year – and various other festivals.”

Laurence agreed it was nice to say quite casually ‘I played Glastonbury’.

“But I was terrified and it wasn’t my finest hour, but I’m quite a vicious judge of myself,” he said.

“But music is quite a different thing to acting, a very different skillset.

“I’ve never been trained to sing or even to play a guitar. I just worked it out – which is quite nice because you can’t blame anyone but yourself.

“You learn on the job which is a nice way of doing it ... if a little scary.”

The family won’t be coming on tour.

“I think because I didn’t go away and do Lewis this year, they’re probably very pleased I will be out of their hair.

“I’m currently doing demoes in our living-room much to the annoyance of most of my family.”

Laurence claims his music gets a mixed family response, dad and fellow actor James “is encouraging”.

“But for Billie, it’s not her sort of music at all.

“She is a get up and dance person and I think you’d be hard-pushed to get up and do anything to my music – maybe wobble a bit!”

With one EP out, there’s already another planned. Just one problem.

“My producer is on tour – he’ll be playing Loopallu in The Temperance Movement!”

Laurence wouldn’t want to choose between music and acting.

“I really do love both.

“I think if music was paying me enough money to put my kids through school and pay the mortgage... but I’ve got an acting job starting the minute I get back.”

Laurence is to star in a stage version of classic film noir story Strangers On A Train, with Bond movie producer Barbara Broccoli directing her first play.

So Laurence is not far from murder again ...

“And at least I get to do the killing for once!” he laughed.

Laurence Fox plays his last solo date at Hootanannys, Inverness, tonight (Monday, September 23). Go to his facebook page for more information and follow him on Twitter @LozzaFox