By Carrie Honaker • Photos by Cal + Aly
Back in Kokomo, Indiana, Preston Brust grew up making memories with a bunch of buddies who called themselves the low-cash money boys. Surrounded by woods and rural back roads, the pseudo-fraternity found fun with the resources they had — which is to say, not many.
Years later in Nashville, when Brust and fellow DJ Chris Lucas hooked up, Brust brought Lucas home to meet the low-cash money boys, and fate stepped in. After a weekend with Brust's crew, Lucas suggested they take the whole concept to Music Row and become 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," Brust said.
Or, as the marquee reads: LOCASH.
The Song That Turned Everything Upside Down
What started as mutual admiration became a full-fledged partnership as the pair co-wrote songs for big-name country stars. But when one of those songs, recorded by Keith Urban, flew up the charts to number one, they knew they were onto 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," said Brust. "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."
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," said Brust. "That was the big moment."
That single brought them out from the songwriter background and onto airwaves and stages across the country. Critical acclaim followed — nominations for Duo of the Year from the ACM, CMA, and CMT, along with chart-topping hits that affirmed the singer-songwriters' rising stardom.
"You know you're actually making music that matters," said Lucas. "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."
Take Us to the Beach, Boys
And then they climbed one more mountain — sand dune? — on March 4, 2022, when their single "Beach Boys," recorded with childhood heroes the actual Beach Boys, started streaming 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," said Brust. "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."
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 came the big test: they sent the song to The Beach Boys hoping for good vibes.
They loved it. 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 a 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 Lucas and Brust in collaboration with Dallas Wilson, Jared Mullins, Brian Wilson, and 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 and Preston 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."
The Mother Church, and a Famous Drummer
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 "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," said Lucas. "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."
LOCASH toured with the Academy of Country Music that year with another Duo of the Year nomination, their fifth ACM career nod, as listeners across the world downloaded their infectious summer anthem.
"Having The Beach Boys on this song is so much fun and pretty surreal for us," said Brust. "I hope everybody feels the positive spirit we're trying to bring."
In another dream moment, the two acts paired up again at Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, in May 2022. But that wasn't the only stage the duo rocked. They also turned up at Guy Fieri's Stagecoach Smokehouse to create a signature dish with the celebrity chef. Asked about their favorite cover song, they answered Prince's "Purple Rain" — and then delivered a spontaneous a cappella version of it on the spot, accompanied by a storm of parmesan cheese supplied by Fieri.
So what do they hope people take away from the music?
"We want people to smile," Lucas said. "We want people to know they're not the only ones out there going through something. Music can bring people together. And that's what LOCASH is all about."
Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Volume 9 (Summer 2022). Story by Carrie Honaker. Photos by Cal + Aly. To learn more about LOCASH, visit locash.com or follow them on Instagram at @locash.
