Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, better known as LOCASH, revive their hit single, “One Big Country Song.” With the help of the DJ Duo and new label-mates, Roadhouse, they remixed the song to re-deliver the messaging when the world needs it the most“
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“It feels like 72 years,” Lucas laughed about the life-cycle of their re-released 2019 track. “It shows how strong the song is too.” He credits the stability of the song to the “amazing songwriters,” Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, and Michael Hardy. The three originally developed what has become an anthem for country music right now. “There’s a lot of dark stuff going on,” Lucas continued, “and this is that light that people can you know listen to, and for three minutes, feel really good.”
As the title suggests, the original recording of “One Big Country ” leans heavily country. The duo praised their friend Dee Jay Silver with Roadhouse for crossing-genre lines while maintaining the authenticity of the track.
“He put a little flavor behind it to bring people that don’t necessarily listen to country music to the table for a taste,” Brust articulated.
LOCASH considers themselves a sonic mix when placed amongst the sounds coming from Nashville. “There’s always been an underlying pop image that comes in once in a while,” they shared. “But there’s also that down-home organic rootsy country that we love. I think both of our edges shine through differently,” they added. The duo credits their producers, Corey Crowder and Tyler Hubbard, for carrying out their sonic and melodic goals, showcasing both worlds.
Their music roots run deep in the singer-songwriter scene in town. Beyond their recent successes with radio singles, the two consider themselves, first and foremost, songwriters. Lucas, a Baltimore-native and Brust, from Kokomo, Indiana, met in Nashville through their mentor, Jeffrey Steele. Steele, whom they affectionately refer to as the “Third LOCASH” guided their writing careers to the eventual cuts that put them on the radar. Co-writing Keith Urban’s number one, “You Gonna Fly” and Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah” propelled them further into their artist career.
Nashville is built on the song,” offered Lucas. “As we move into a different world and times, that song is becoming more ear candy. But, that’s what makes country music beautiful, it opens up and changes with the times. You’ve got to be able to do that. Country music does and it’s fantastic – that’s why it’s still around and always will be.”
LOCASH follows this evolution model, approaching traditional country with a modern flare. When it comes to their songwriting, it is just as much about quantity as it as quality. Their best advice for aspiring writers is borrowed. Steele offered the two some advice that they bring to the table with them daily: “You’ve got to stack them like pancakes, but you can’t skimp on the ingredients.”
“I honestly should just have it tattooed on my arm because I think about it every single day,” Brust laughed. “If you didn’t skimp on the ingredients the song that you wrote last year may be cuttable for an album two years from now. You watch songs that were written eight years ago become number ones.”
Lucas encourages everyone to just keep writing. For him, this means shaking as many hands as you possibly can and getting in the room with new people. “Take all the great techniques you learn from others and put it all together, and you’ll keep getting better,” he insisted. “The day you stop learning is the day you’re unsuccessful.”
Though they pride themselves on their craft, the duo remains focused on “speaking to the hearts of America.” Lucas and Brust consume outside songs daily seeking the perfect placement in a town full of talent. “It doesn’t matter if we wrote it or if somebody’s grandma wrote it, if it’s better than ours, we’re going to cut it,” the two joked, pushing away their pride.
This notion was followed by the flattery they’ve experienced having others want to write songs for their records. The phenomenon brings the charting artist’s experience full-circle. “It hits you in the heart because you’ve really done something,” they shared humbly, after many years of writing for others.
Thanks to Steele’s sage wisdom, LOCASH has a stockpile of songs they are eager to share with their fans. They have tentative plans to share “three or six-packs” of new music throughout the year as they continue to work on their next big project.
Listen to Roadhouse’s remix of “One Big Country Song,” below and keep an eye out on more music from LOCASH.
