Two members of Viet Cong were formerly in the Canadian rock group Women. Bassist Matt Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace had both been members of Women, a Calgary, Alberta, band known for its experimental indie rock and post-punk sound.
Women formed in 2008 with Patrick Flegel, Christopher Reimer, Matt Flegel, and Mike Wallace. The group released its self-titled debut album in 2008 and followed it with Public Strain in 2010. Their music combined lo-fi production, angular guitar work, noisy textures, and unconventional song structures.
Women entered an indefinite hiatus in 2010 after an onstage altercation. After guitarist Christopher Reimer died in 2012, Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace formed a new band with Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen. That group initially took the name Viet Cong and released its only album under that name in 2015.
The band changed its name to Preoccupations in 2016 following criticism that “Viet Cong” was an insensitive name. The question asks about the group’s earlier identity, so Women—not Preoccupations—is the canonical answer.