After almost a decade spent developing their experimental pop/rock group Regal Degal, bandmates Josh Da Costa and Jamen Whitelock switched gears toward more dance-friendly material with new project CMON. The duo kept some of the textural atmospheres of their previous band but leaned heavily into programmed rhythm and disco-pop grooves on their 2020 debut Confusing Mix of Nations.

Da Costa and Whitelock met shortly after they both found themselves living in New York near the end of the 2000s. In 2009 they started Regal Degal, a band that would dabble in everything from distorted synth punk to repetitive Krautrock-styled jamming over the next several years. On one of the band's final tours, they realized they were often playing live to stiff crowds before DJs came on and got people dancing. Inspired by this response, both Da Costa and Whitelock began experimenting with electronic programming. As Regal Degal was disbanding, the members split their time between Los Angeles and New York, with Da Costa living in L.A. full-time and focusing on writing new tracks with more of a dance-pop edge. Da Costa traded files with Whitelock, who was still living in New York, and before long they were traveling cross-country to record together in person. In 2018, the newly christened CMON released a self-titled five-song EP. The recording generated enough excitement for the duo to secure a deal with Mexican Summer, which released their debut full-length, Confusing Mix of Nations, in the spring of 2020. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi