How did the idea of a solo record come about?
I was very lucky when we announced the G4 split back in the summer to meet Jonathan Shalit, my new manager, and we approached Universal, EMI and Sony BMG to hopefully get a solo deal. I was fortunate enough to get offers from all three and after going with the Universal offer we, throughout the latter part of last year, began recording the album  that will be out this month.

Why did you choose to record an album of movie songs?
It was Universal’s idea. Obviously they are incredibly well affiliated with movies as a company ,and it was a great but daunting thing to do a movie themes album because it’s just a broad idea. We were not quite sure where the distinction would be. We had quite a few meetings and it turned out they wanted a classical movie themed album with tunes that were integral to the plot, songs that were really important and not just circumstantial pieces that were in a movie. So we researched and  ended up with a shortlist of the twelve songs we have got. A long difficult process,  but very rewarding when we got the results.

Was it a daunting task to interpret vocals to what are prominently classic instrumental themes?
Yeah, it was odd with themes like ‘Dances With Wolves’ and ‘Chariot’s Of Fire’ in particular. They are known for their beautiful orchestration and that epic familiarity. We managed to find other (vocal) versions that had previously been recorded, so the lyrics had been approved by the publicists. It was interesting to then try and utilise the awareness of the tune in the movie and then give it this new twist with the lyric. ‘Here’s To The Heroes’ (from Dances With Wolves) is quite different to the movie in its story, but then it still connects well with troops and fighting and war. The ‘Chariots Of Fire’ has really appropriate lyrics (‘Race To The End’). It was quite fun to have something that  different  with a classical crossover album, and not the same tunes that people have heard many times before. It’s something fresh and more unique.

Were these lyrics written especially written for this project?
No, these tracks had been written for other artists prior, and I was lucky enough to find those lyrics and earlier recordings and put them together on a themed album.

Has it been strange recording and promoting an album without the other guy’s from G4?
It’s very different. It’s a very interesting process the fact that in the recording studio you’re laying down backing vocal’s, pushing your voice to ultimate extremes of high notes and low notes to try and give a depth of colour...

You were singing in soprano in G4 ,and now tenor for these recordings?
Yeah, well more of a high tenor in G4. Lots of people said it was close to soprano because of the extreme notes that I sang. What’s been fun with this solo project is the opportunity to utilise the full range so I’m not always up in a stratosphere trying to incorporate the other harmonies underneath. I’m now able to make those high notes more of a moment, rather than them being there all the time. I’ve really enjoyed that process. Being out on the road performing and promoting it’s very different, but I think from the experiences and environments through G4 I now feel comfortable and aware of what’s happening .It doesn’t feel wrong, just different.

You plan to tour this record, can you tell me about that.
Yes, there is nothing set in stone as yet, but I’m looking into it. At the moment the main focus is promotion for this album and then hopefully later we’ll have a meeting to talk about what the rest of the year, and years, have in store.

What was it about the classical field, over say the pop field that appealed to you as a career?
I’ve always listened to a huge variety of music. Initially as a child I listened to my mum’s albums which were Pavarotti, Three Tenors and Michael Ball compilations, so the initial influences were classical music theatre.  I guess that influence you have through your life goes on, I’ve always loved singing but was unsure what genre was best for me. The easiest way for me to have lessons and study  music was through classical. It’s hard to get into say pop music through lessons and training, it’s quite difficult. Through my early days singing in a boys choir and touring Florida and Europe,I was exposed to a variety of music  but prominently classical training, which led to attending the Guildhall, which set me in that right direction. I do like pushing the boundaries a little bit, experimenting vocally and enabling different audiences to listen to music they may have not heard before.

“..I think it’s going to be long time before I shave my hair off and start busting moves to Nessun Dorma...”

What else do you listen to outside the classical genres?
I love a huge variety. I really enjoy Eminem, especially his last album. Really clever lyrics,  and something so diverse to what I do for a living. It’s escapism. The John Legend album, I listen to that constantly. It’s really well written and performed. The fact that his music can be remixed and interpreted in many ways in different environments  is amazing , it’s very soulful.

Having been a contestant on X-factor, what are your true feelings of reality pop TV shows?
I think there are more and more appearing and it’s kind of taking over TV, but they are an amazing opportunity for artists to showcase their talents. I think it is just as important for a contestant to realise that the show is the start of things, it’s not once you have won that you will be made for life and you will have this amazing career, you have to work, and the work really starts when you walk off that stage and leave the show. Hopefully you will have a supportive team and network around you that will let work and build that career. They are fantastic fun to watch and be part of. I owe everything that I’ve got now to being on the X factor and to have had that opportunity and exposure.

What do you think it is about the younger classical and opera acts like yourself, Katherine Jenkins, Charlotte Church, that has gracefully moved the genre into popular mainstream?
I think people felt a bit alienated by classical music a few years ago. Pavarotti in particular really broke down those barriers with his performance in ‘Nessun Dorma’ and the world cup and this became popular with a large cross-section of the population. He did it again with the Three Tenors before Russell Watson and Charlotte Church and her classical career as a child, then Catherine Hayley and myself who are younger faces to classical music. I think people like that accessibility and the idea of the artist being younger allows people to buy into it easier.

You have recently been tagged ‘the classical Justin Timberlake’ how does that make you feel and is a future career in pop something that interests you?
I heard about that!(Laughs). I think through my training from the age of seven and being in this world of classic and music theatre, I think that’s where I’ll end up  staying. I always love experimenting and pushing things a bit but I think it’s going to be long time before I shave my hair off and start busting some moves to ‘Nessun Dorma’. It did make me laugh when that quote came out definitely!

Jonathan Ansell's 'Tenor at the Movies' is out now.