Back in Kokomo, Indiana, Preston Brust grew up creating memories with a bunch of buddies known as the low cash money boys. Surrounded by woods and rural landscapes, the pseudo fraternity found fun with the resources they had. When Brust and fellow DJ Chris Lucas hooked up later in Nashville, Brust brought Lucas home to meet the low cash money boys and fate stepped in. After hanging out with Brust’s buddies, Lucas suggested they could take this concept to Nashville and be the low cash guys of country music.
After all, “the best things in life are free. And it’s really not about money. It’s low cash,” said Brust. Or LOCASH.
What started as admiration became a full-fledged partnership as the pair co-wrote songs for big-name country music stars. But when one of those songs recorded by Keith Urban flew up the charts to number one, they knew they were on to something. “That moment was defining for our hearts. We wrote so many songs, basically for ourselves, and then suddenly, one of the songs fell into Keith’s hands. Not only does he love it, but he records it. He puts it on his album. He makes it a single and then it goes all the way to number one for two weeks. It just turned our world upside down in a good way,” said Brust.
A few months later, that success was followed by Tim McGraw recording their song “Truck Yeah,” the highest debut single of McGraw’s career. The pair were writing music that worked on country radio so they dug in and recorded their own song “I Love This Life.” “It started going up the charts like the little train that could, one spot up on the chart one week at a time until it got all the way to the top and rang the bell for us. That was the big moment,” said Brust.
That single brought them out from the songwriter background onto airwaves and stages across the country singing their music. Critical acclaim with nominations for Duo of the Year from ACM, CMA and CMT, along with chart-topping hits affirmed the singer-songwriters rising star. “You know you’re actually making music that matters. There’s so many days where you just gotta’ tighten up the boots a little bit and keep on moving. There’s highs and lows and in-betweens, but man those red carpet moments, encapsulate all of that hard work with acceptance by peers and fans,” said Lucas.
And they climbed one more mountain on March 4, 2022, as their single “Beach Boys,” recorded with childhood heroes the actual Beach Boys streamed on stations everywhere. Known for their positive, feel-good music, the collaboration was a natural fit. “Anytime you hear “Fun, Fun, Fun,” or “Good Vibrations,” it puts a smile on your face and lightens the day a little bit. When we sat down to write a song that day, we thought, why don’t we just marry the idea of country music with Beach Boys harmonies infused with our positive spirit,” said Brust.
They immersed themselves in Beach Boys culture, leaned into the iconic harmonies, and rode the wave of taking country music to the sandy beach.
Then the big test. They sent the song to The Beach Boys hoping for good vibes. They loved it. The next stop was Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Brust and Lucas, “…set up a studio backstage at a Beach Boys concert and recorded their parts on the song right there. The rest is history,” said Brust.
The result is a tune that layers rocking country pulse with breezy, surfer optimism and samples The Beach Boys classic “I Get Around” hook. Originally released on their Woods and Water EP, this version written by LOCASH’s Chris Lucas and Preston Brust collaborating with Dallas Wilson, Jared Mullins, Brian Wilson, Mike Love and featuring longtime Beach Boys band member Bruce Johnston, transports listeners to sugar sand beaches with a cooler full of cold ones.
“We had a blast collaborating with Chris [Lucas] and Preston [Brust] of LOCASH!” said The Beach Boys’ Mike Love.
“The song is so hooky—I can’t get it out of my head. Country Rock met Surf Rock and created a fun summer hit!”
Ahead of the March 4 release, The Beach Boys invited LOCASH on stage to debut the single at one of their sold-out shows. They played to a full house with the iconic good vibrations band, including newly anointed drummer John Stamos, everybody’s favorite TV uncle. “We were at the Ryman Auditorium, which is the mother church for country music. The Grand Ole Opry used to be there and we got to be on stage with the Beach Boys. It was one of those moments you never forget,” said Lucas.
The future is bright for LOCASH as they tour with the Academy of Country Music with another Duo of the Year nomination, their fifth ACM career nod, and listeners across the world download their infectious summer anthem, “Beach Boys.” Brust elaborated, “Having the Beach Boys on this song is so much fun and pretty surreal for us. I hope everybody feels the positive spirit we’re trying to bring.”
When asked about what they hope people get out of their music, Lucas responded, “We want people to smile. We want people to know they’re not the only one out there going through something. Music can bring people together. And that’s what LOCASH is all about.”
