Are you ready to party at the ACMs? Because LOCASH – the group nominated for Duo of the Year – certainly is, so get to know all about them.
It takes two to make a thing go right, and that seems to be the unofficial theme of the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards. Numerous collaborations got nominated in the major categories for the 2022 country music awards show, and the Duo of the Year category is stacked. Among the pairs up for an ACM this year is LOCASH, the terrific twosome of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust. “We’re so grateful and excited to be recognized again by the Academy of Country Music. This is amazing news and a great sign for what’s to come!” Chris shared with The Country Daily.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet, but it feels amazing to be nominated, there are so many individuals on our team that help make all of this possible, so this is a big moment for all of us!” added Preston, per The Country Daily. This marks the duo’s fifth ACM Award nomination. They’re up against Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osbourne, Dan + Shay, and Maddie & Tae. Before the March 8 ceremony, here’s what you need to know about LOCASH.
(Scott Moore/Shutterstock)LOCASH Is A Country Music Duo
Preston grew up “in the outdoors of Kokomo, Indiana, and Arkansas,” according to American Songwriter. Chris was raised near Baltimore, Maryland. However, the two realized they had a lot in common when they first met as DJs at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.
“It used to be, one of us would DJ, and one of us would go out with the mic,” Preston told The Boot. “Chris would go out with the mic, and I would DJ. And then, after the break, I would go out with the mic, and Chris would DJ. “One night, we got bored. We opened up the drawer, and there were two mics. We were like, ‘Let’s do it together. Let’s push play and walk out together.’ We were just bored. The jokes were twice as funny, and the moment was twice as special.”
“There was something there when we met and took two microphones out on the Wildhorse floor,” added Chris. “We were having people do the craziest stuff; we were giving away mustard bottles. So we just knew we had something.”
They’ve Been Together For Almost 20 Years
(RMV/Shutterstock)“We got together about 12 years ago and started writing songs,” Preston told Songwriter Universe in 2016. Since their meeting in 2004, Preston and Chris have known they were set to work together in the country music world. “We both had the same interests in mind when we were sitting down to write songs for our last show,” added Preston. “We wanted to go hit the road, write and perform all over the country. So we were looking for some material. We needed songs to sing. We started hooking up with different songwriters around town. We wanted to get a record deal. We wanted to have songs on the radio, so we were trying to write the best songs we could.”
Initially calling themselves The LoCash Cowboys, LOCASH self-released their debut album in 2008. Shortly afterward, they signed to a record label and released three singles (that all peaked around the top half of the US Country charts). Their most successful songs are currently: “I Love This Life,” which reached No. 2 on the US Country Airplay Charts, No. 5 on the US Country Charts, and 56 on the Billboard Hot 100; and “I Know Somebody,” which topped the US Country Airplay Chart, hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Country chart and reached No. 52 on the Hot 100. In 2019, their “One Big Country Song” also gained traction in the U.S. and Canada.
They Have Hit Songs With Other Musicians
“We wake up, and one of us is writing melody, and the other is writing lyrics or vice versa,” Chris told the Songwriter Universe. “I usually come up with titles of the songs, and Preston is probably stronger on the melodic side.”
As is the case with many country artists, LOCASH works as a songwriting duo – and they’ve found success! They wrote Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah,” which has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA. They also wrote Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly,” which hit No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the US Hot Country Songs chart, and has since gone Gold.
They Recorded A Song With Members Of The Beach Boys
Ahead of the 2022 ACMs, LOCASH dropped a remix of their song “Beach Boys,” featuring…two members of The Beach Boys. Mike Love and Bruce Johnson joined in on the remix, offering their distinct harmonies to this new collab.
“The day we wrote ‘Beach Boys,’ I remember Chris and I dreaming of recording it with The Beach Boys,” Preston told The Country Daily, “We never imagined that they’d hear it, let alone get the chance to lay down our parts with Mike [Love] and Bruce [Johnston] and actually feel like we were a part of a group that we’ve idolized for so long! It’s crazy how it all became a reality and now the fun really begins!”
LOCASH Is Prolific
Preston’s advice for any songwriter out there? “Write, write, write all the time. You’ve got to write song after song after song,” he told American Songwriter. He and Chris practiced what they preached. The two wrote nearly 150 songs during the COVID-19 pandemic, channeling their feelings into their music. Their positive outlook – along with a selection of nature-inspired songs – led to their Woods & Water EP.
“We wanted to find the good things in life to be appreciative of, and still be relevant during a time like this, and to have a message that really spoke to people’s hearts,” Preston told American Songwriter. “I think that helped us write the songs in a positive way. It started to feel like we were going to get through this together.”
