STARSAILOR singer James Walsh is facing some unlikely competition as he launches his new solo album - himself.

The Wigan singer plays King Tut's on Monday night in support of Turning Point, his first record since the Good Souls band took a break.

He's hoping fans won't unfavourably compare his new work, influenced by the likes of Van Morrison, to his old material.

"It's like starting again," he says, ahead of the album's release, also on Monday.

"We spent a lot of years building up Starsailor's reputation and an element of that has made things easier for me, but it's also a bit harder as you're competing with your own back catalogue. Those Starsailor songs meant a lot to people."

He's hoping Turning Point can have as big an impact as Starsailor hits like Alcoholic and Four To The Floor.

Yet the singer, who now lives in Ballymena in Northern Ireland, has enjoyed getting to indulge in his own musical inspirations for the album.

"With Starsailor it was a lot more of a democracy, and everyone was able to bring their own influences to the sound," he explains.

"This was me getting stuck into my Van Morrison and my Jackson Browne sound. It was a real joyous thing to make a record purely for me."

Since Starsailor went on hiatus in 2009, James has been working on his own material and working with other acts, writing songs with the likes of Eliza Doolittle, Mel C and Suzanne Vega as well as adding vocals to a track with DJ Eddie Thonick.

He's also throwing ideas around for a project with McFly singer Danny Jones.

"My own music is very personal but it's nice to work with another artist who brings their own experiences and lyrics to the table," adds James.

"I like working on dance projects, it's great when two worlds collide.

"The stuff with Danny is pretty loose, he's pretty busy with McBusted and going on tour with them, but we're enjoying making music and just seeing where it goes."

James enjoyed another recent collaboration when he toured Europe with One Republic, and regularly joined the band onstage to sing Good Souls.

He's looking forward to some smaller shows on his own tour, though, including King Tut's.

"We were discussing with the One Republic guys how Scottish audiences are the best, and King Tut's should be brilliant," he enthuses.

"It'll be a change from supporting One Republic in these huge arenas to going to the these closer-knit venues where you can see the whites of their eyes."

There's even a glimmer of hope for Starsailor fans too.

"We're going to do a couple of shows in the summer, as we're playing the V Festival and at the Isle of Wight," adds James.

"It's just a bit of fun getting the lads back together, but there's no plan to record or tour."