Nealand embarked on a cross country bicycle trip, during which she interviewed rural Americans and compiled their stories into a musical piece titled "American Dreams". The trip concluded in New Orleans, where she began playing traditional jazz, much of which she had grown up listening to in California. Nealand formed The Royal Roses in 2011 for a tribute concert to
Sidney Bechet at
Preservation Hall in New Orleans. Along with the Royal Roses, Nealand also performs as a member of the
rockabilly band
Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers and solo under the name
The Monocle. In 2019, Nealand, under the name Monocle, brought her project "KindHumanKind" to the New Orleans
Contemporary Arts Center, receiving a positive review from
OffBeat magazine. Nealand began playing musical scores to the silent films of comedian
Buster Keaton. ==Awards and honors==