Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach: Award Winning Musicians with a Cause for Dogs

Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach, a GRAMMY-winning husband-wife duo, are making waves in both the music and animal rescue worlds. Nominated this year for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” and “Best Jazz Performance,” their album Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence combines their jazz talents with a mission to save shelter dogs.

Written by Dan and featuring Nicole on vocals, the album honours their rescue dogs, including Bianca, and supports pit bull rescue efforts through album proceeds. Nicole’s recent GRAMMY win for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” further highlights their dedication to both music and compassion.

Their story of artistry and activism resonates deeply, with their music raising awareness for shelter dog rescues and inspiring others to make a difference.

Nicole, congratulations on your recent GRAMMY win! Can you talk about how it feels to be recognized in such a prestigious way, especially with your self-produced album How Love Begins?

Nicole Zuraitis: “A year later, I finally had a chance to take in this momentous occasion and feel excited! I spent most of the year feeling like I’d gotten shot out of a cannon. Now I feel pride because I know that me winning as an independent artist wasn’t a win just for me, it was a win for all of the musicians out there who used to think that something like this wasn’t possible for them. It’s a win for everyone!

“The Grammys is the only peer-voted award and to be recognized by my peers and colleagues was a true honour. It has nothing to do with your social media following or your streaming numbers. The Grammys is merit-based and awarded by professionals working in the music industry. I’m still blown away and extremely grateful.”

Dan, your album Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence is a beautiful tribute to your work rescuing shelter dogs. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the album and the role Bianca played in it?

Dan Pugach: “Bianca was the name of our longest foster rescue pit bull who was a regular at New York City jazz clubs, national tours, jazz festivals, and recording dates. She was loved and loved everyone. I wrote the piece ‘Bianca’ for her to remember her gentleness and beauty. That piece then won a composition competition, which commissioned another piece with the rest of the album coming about like a puzzle. Besides Bianca, we have rescued, fostered, transported, and helped get adopted many pit bulls from shelters and have been donating to rescue groups. We are passionate about creating awareness about dog fostering through our music.”

Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach, photo courtesy of Rankin for the Recording AcademyⓇ

“Little Fears,” the nominated track, is written from the perspective of a shelter dog. Nicole, what was it like to perform a song from such a unique and emotional point of view?

Zuraitis: “I wrote this song in honour of anyone or anything who has ever been held against their will. There are so many animals that need homes and are at risk of euthanasia, all due to the negligence of humans. If we could bring them all home, we would. If I think back to the hardest times in my life, I always leaned on the dogs that I loved for support. Their unconditional love grounded me, and I feel thankful and responsible to give back like they gave selflessly to me. The resounding message in ‘Little Fears’ is that having hope can be very frightening because sometimes it feels easier to just give up. But you have to hold tight.”

How did the two of you collaborate on Bianca Reimagined, and what was the process like for blending your musical talents with your shared passion for animal rescue?

Pugach: “It’s funny, but we actually argued for a year over ‘Little Fears.’ Nicole kept saying that I heard it for the big band, and I kept saying that it would sound better with a small ensemble.”

Zuraitis: “As the recording session crept closer, I told Dan he needed to make sure that we had that song orchestrated for the recording session so he arranged the song on the flight to and from Europe. Dan and I are each other’s muses. We’ve been playing together since 2009. That said, we each have our own projects as band leaders but also are essential parts of each other’s projects. I can’t imagine the last 15 years without Dan as my musical and life partner.”

Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach, photo by Lindsey Victoria Photography

You both have an extensive history of supporting pit bull rescue organizations. How has your involvement in this cause influenced your music, and how do you balance the two?

Zuraitis: “In 2010, I saw a post on Facebook about a dog that was slated to be euthanized. A nine-month-old lab-pit mix named Ozzie. I had no idea at the time that nearly a million pit bulls are euthanized every year. I thought this was a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence, so I drove to the shelter and adopted Ozzie despite not having a dog-friendly apartment in Queens. But guess who did have a dog-friendly apartment? Dan! This began our fostering journey and our deep love for bully breeds and also solidified our partnership in love as well! The music industry is incredibly difficult, but having dogs grounded us at home and in our hearts.

“Pit bulls are the most misunderstood breed. They are inherently good. They are the easiest dogs to access for the least amount of money and are subject to some of the most horrific abuse one can imagine. Yet, despite it all, they are resilient, loving, intelligent, sentient, and loyal. To know the love of an animal who has been rescued means you have had the privilege of loving it as well. To me, pitties really defined the phrase, ‘Who rescued who?’

“Fostering is an excellent way to decompress a shelter animal, and also a wonderful way to audition a dog for your own forever home. It is heartwarming to watch an animal decompress and blossom from fear to joy. Sometimes, people ask how they can tour and have dogs and wonder if it’s cruel to be away from them and home. I always respond by asking, ‘Is it better to be in a crowded, noisy shelter and at risk?’ The balance is being sure you always have responsible dog sitters and the funds to be sure the animals get the care that they deserve.”

Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach, photo by Matt Baker Photography

Nicole, you mentioned dedicating your GRAMMY win to everyone who has sung at the back of a smoky bar. Can you elaborate on how that experience shaped your artistry and your journey to the GRAMMYs?

Zuraitis: “It’s a pretty thankless job to be ‘paid radio,’ aka background music where people forget to clap or take phone calls two feet from the piano, or watch YouTube on full blast while you’re singing a ballad. Not to mention the late hours and the lonely sets to no one. That said, those background gigs were paid practice where I could hone my craft, experiment with my voice, and pay my bills all at the same time. I am so thankful for those gigs and especially thankful for my imagination that would run wild while I was singing in the back of those bars.

“I would imagine I was singing to 500 people instead of five. And I would take risks because it was a luxury to be forced to make music. I once had someone tell me that I was selling out by playing weddings every weekend. Music felt like a true gift no matter where the venue was. When I dedicated my Grammy speech to those singers, I truly meant it. I know what it’s like to dream, and I hope that they continue to dream, too.”

Dan, what challenges did you face while writing and arranging Bianca Reimagined and how did you ensure that the music would also serve as a vehicle for your mission to save shelter dogs?

Pugach: “Bianca Reimagined grew organically from the first piece, ‘Bianca.’ Its following commission, ‘Tolerance,’ was dedicated to Bella the Bear who was our recent foster who passed this year. I knew I had to include a piece about Bella when she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour. This piece was focused on consistency. Bella was solid, reliable, and consistent. ‘The Bridge’ is a song that Nicole wrote about the imaginary dog heaven called the ‘rainbow bridge,’ which will deeply resonate with anyone who ever lost a pet. Every time we perform live, we create awareness about shelter dog fostering and advocate for pit bulls. We engage with audiences all over the world exchanging countless stories with fans who could not wait to tell us about their recent dog who passed or their new foster. I feel that’s partially due to the power of music.”

Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach, photo courtesy of Rankin for the Recording AcademyⓇ

You’ve both gone from performing at small venues to national tours and virtual platforms. How has your approach to performing and engaging with audiences evolved over time?

Zuraitis: “It’s funny, to think that most of our gigs were performing as background musicians at weddings, corporate events, bars, or coffee houses. Those gigs were amazing because we were practicing and using our instruments and being paid to play. So, when we would start to perform in listening venues and large concert halls, we were hyper-tuned into the audience. We were so shocked by their silence that we decided to play for them. One of the biggest issues in jazz music, in particular, is that it tends to feel very insular within the band, almost like the band is ignoring the audience. I think this is a missed opportunity to communicate with listeners and spread our love and passion for both music and dog rescue.

“We started by playing at restaurants and in bars and pretty much anywhere that had live music. We worked our way into more established music venues like Ashford and Simpson’s Sugar Bar, Rockwood Music Hall, the 55bar, and Birdland Jazz Club and are now playing bigger venues. Our goal has been to treat our audience with extra love and care.”

The proceeds from your album support pit bull rescue organizations. Can you talk about the impact this has had on the rescue community, and how it feels to use your music for such a meaningful cause?

Zuraitis: “The real heroes in pit bull rescue are the people who do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are merely foster-dog parents with a platform. Friends that we have in the industry, like Donna Darrell at Pound Hounds ResQ, live and breathe this with the help of selfless volunteers every day. They see case after case of neglect, abuse, and heartbreak, especially towards pit bulls and yet they continue to help. We feel that it’s the least we can do to bring awareness and help stop the miscommunication around these beautiful, friendly, goofy land hippos.

“Encouraging people to adopt rather than shop starts with sharing our own experiences with these incredible animals. It’s important to highlight that while puppies can be challenging to train, many at-risk dogs are already house-trained. Additionally, educating others about the benefits of adoption—especially when it comes to fostered dogs—can make a huge difference. Fostered dogs often come with personality and behaviour assessments, which are invaluable tools for finding the perfect match.”

Pugach: “We’ve always felt a little misunderstood, so perhaps we relate on a deeper level to the underdog (laughs). Every album that Nicole has made always has an aspect of social change or social justice. She feels that art is served best with a side of activism. We both feel that dogs and, in particular, pit bulls, are one of the most beautiful gifts we have in this world. They can’t speak, so someone has to speak for them.”

Nicole Zuraitis & Dan Pugach, photo by Rick Krusky

You’ve both been nominated for several Grammys, including this year. What does being recognized as a duo mean to you, and how does your personal connection influence your music?

Pugach: “The nominations this year are extra special to us because they acknowledge the amount of love and hard work that went into making this big band album. And it’s extremely special to do it with your life partner. We each got validated by our peers for our craft, Nicole as a vocalist, songwriter and producer, and myself as an artist, drummer, and composer/arranger. That is more than we could have ever asked for and we are very grateful for being noticed and celebrated.

“Our personal connection is our musical connection. We started as musical partners and have been on the same wavelength since we met in 2009. There is no one else I would rather be arguing with over time signatures in the middle of a recording session than Nicole. Everything we do musically and otherwise is personal to us. Our love for each other naturally pours into our musical collaborations.”

Nicole, your album How Love Begins was the first ever to win “Best Jazz Vocal Album” with all original songs. How did the process of writing and producing this album differ from your previous work, and what does this win mean for independent artists?

Zuraitis: “It was my Achilles heel for many years that I was a jazz singer-songwriter and not just a jazz singer. In jazz, if they can’t put you in a box or compare you to sounding like someone legendary, critics tend to not know what to do with you. The question always was, ‘Is Nicole jazz?’ I had spent years learning the language of jazz and honouring the tradition of Black American music. Yet I still didn’t quite fit in. I spent years trying to conform to this hypothetical mould, and when I wrote ‘How Love Begins,’ even though it was entirely original music, I couldn’t shake the judgments and expectations I thought I needed to meet.

“Collaborating with highly respected living musicians like Christian McBride was a great way to get my foot in the door. But in retrospect, what I’ve learned is that being unique and living within the cracks with your art will eventually help you escape the box that everyone else is trying to fit into. Better yet, it makes a new lane by innovating new ideas and celebrating uniqueness rather than imitation.”

As independent artists, you’ve found success through resilience and passion. What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who want to follow a similar path, combining their artistic talents with a cause they believe in?

Zuraitis: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Do not be fooled by the algorithm and do not be discouraged by numbers. Dan and I have zero regrets because we know that for the last 20 years, we’ve been boots on the ground, working in the trenches, making a living doing music. We did this despite obstacles. Dan as an immigrant and me as a woman. No one in our family is a musician, and we are not inherently wealthy. We worked countless jobs to fund our art, and there is no shame in doing that. Though our journey has been challenging, it’s been amazing. The biggest advice is to realize what an absolute miracle it is to make music in the first place and, in our case, even more so to have it benefit animals.”