Josh Thompson On His New ‘Do: ‘I Don’t Even Notice the Ponytail is Gone’

For years, country fans have been fawning over Josh Thompson’s luscious curly locks (Oh, and his music is pretty good too!). After going through some major life changes – like leaving his record label home of Sony’s Columbia Nashville and moving over to Toby Keith’s Show Dog-Universal Records – the Wisconsin native decided it was time to clean up the mop top.

“I was going to cut my hair once my second Sony record came out,” Josh tells CountryMusicIsLove. “As you know there was a little hitch is the damn plan so now was the time. I waited an extra whatever it was, two years. Initially, I was just going to shave it. I was going to buzz it and be done with it because it was just time for me at this point. I had had long hair for 10 to 11 years. My whole life previous was all short hair, but then somebody talked to me into going half way and finding a style with it. I agreed to do it, did it, and it was easy. I love it. I don’t even notice the ponytail is gone.”

His new label home even supported his decision, even if he does embellish how much they do. “They were all on board,” he says. “I asked, because I’ve seen people do that in the past and I’ve seen labels get bent. They didn’t. Basically the label said, ‘You know what? You look good. You’re the best looking person we’ve got and it really doesn’t matter what you do to you hair you’re still the best looking person we’ve got.’ [laughs]”

That second album that the “Wanted Me Gone” singer referred to is actually completed, though the only tune off of it that’s been released was the 2011 top 40 tune, “Comin’ Around.” While Sony only released one song from the project, Josh explains that he now owns the entire project. “That’s extremely unheard of,” he admits. “For the life of me I’m going to tell you I have no idea how it happened, because I would’ve never let that happen if the tables were reversed. It was beautiful thing.”

From “Comin’ Around” it’s obvious that the non-released album is far from Turn It Up, which Josh released earlier this year. “I was at a different place,” he explains. “That record was really reflective. This record is more a party. That record was more of the hangover, where you start looking back at life or last night’s events and regrets barge in and I loved it. It’s definitely going to see the light of day at some point.”