For this year’s edition of the Dazed 100 – our annual list of the pioneers, changemakers, and new talent who are shaping youth culture today – we asked five listees to answer our dA-Zed quiz. 

SMUT Press is a London-based queer publishing project and party platform founded in 2022 by Irish artists Jack Scollard and Jordan Hearns. Existing at the intersection of print and nightlife, SMUT champions queer artists through a series of publications and raves. 

Here, Scollard and Hearns reveal the best advice they’ve ever been given, their most controversial opinion and why kindness is underrated. 

A IS FOR... ADVICE. WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

Jordan: Every day is all there is. 

Jack: Trust your gut. 

B IS FOR… BIRTHPLACE. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Both: We are both from the Emerald Isle. Jack is from Dublin, and Jordan is from Portlaoise, Co. Laois.

C IS FOR… CRUSH. WHO’S YOUR ULTIMATE CRUSH?

Jordan: Santa Claus. Woof! 

Jack: There are too many to mention. 

D IS FOR… DREAM. WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM?

Both: We both grew up eager to send invoices to bookshops and sign contracts with agents for DJ bookings.

E IS FOR… ENDGAME. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL?

Both: Total world domination that’s a secret for now…

F IS FOR… FOR YOU PAGE. WHAT’S ON YOUR FYP RIGHT NOW?

Jordan: Often, I wonder, what am I scrolling for? What do I hope to find? Lately, I’ve been watching ultralight packing videos, very intense posts about French leather shoes and New Age Meditative cassette tapes from the 1970s to 1990s.

Jack: Mine is late-stage brain rot. AI videos of the Queen, topless men doing group choreo, generic memes about East London culture and cosmetic surgery disasters. 

G IS FOR… GOD. DO YOU HAVE FAITH OR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE?

Jack: If I have any spiritual practices, I think they centre around meditation or quiet solitude. I was a bit of a cynic of sauna culture, but I am a convert now. I feel like it’s one of the only places where I can focus on the present moment and feel embodied. I also did my first gong bath with my friend Birte a few weeks ago, which I would definitely do again. 

Jordan: My spiritual practice is listening to ML Buch’s album Suntub. 

H IS FOR… HOBBY. DO YOU HAVE A NICHE HOBBY?

Jack: Collecting litter in cruising areas.

Jordan: I like to collect vintage badges.

I IS FOR… INTERNET. WHERE DO YOU SPEND THE MOST TIME ONLINE?

Jordan: Apart from the obvious channels and programs for all of the SMUT design, admin and posting, I spend a lot of time on YouTube and Discogs researching music, ASX for photography insights and research, and eBay. 

Jack: Instagram, Soundcloud and Gmail. I wish it were more exciting or mysterious, but the truth is that SMUT has become a lot more admin-focused over time. I feel like I use the internet less and less out of boredom or leisure, and more because it’s become a tool of productivity.  

J IS FOR… JOKES. WHO MAKES YOU LAUGH MOST IN THE WORLD?

Both: Honestly, our friends crack us up the most, particularly the Italians we know…

K IS FOR… KISMET. DO YOU BELIEVE IN FATE?

Both: Only when it works in our favour. 

L IS FOR… LOVE. WHAT’S THE MOST ROMANTIC THING THAT SOMEONE’S EVER DONE FOR YOU?

Jordan: Given me the support, care and space to be myself. We learn and grow together, after all. 

Jack: This one is tricky because I can’t think of romantic gestures hierarchically. They all felt like the most romantic thing at that particular time, and they all meant a lot at that moment.

M IS FOR… MEME. WHAT’S A MEME YOU REFERENCE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?

Both: Kelly Osbourne’s infamous stance on immigration, ‘In the sense that…’

N IS FOR… NATURE. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL?

Both: Oh we couldn’t possibly pick… we love them all! Otters, bears, wolves, even pigs! 

O IS FOR… OPINION. WHAT IS YOUR MOST CONTROVERSIAL OPINION?

Both: That not every party is meant for everyone. Of course, there are obvious factors like music, atmosphere, and the crowd in terms of preference, but what we’re referring to is a particular interpretation of inclusivity, as the assumption that anyone can simply show up and automatically be a fit. This isn’t about elitism, it’s about intentionally shaping the energy on the dancefloor so it feels true to you and to the community you’re building.

After all, clubs were originally groups of people united by a shared interest or purpose. In that spirit, I think it’s important to remember that when you throw a party, you’re ultimately creating a space for yourself and your friends first, everything else extends from there.

P IS FOR… PARTY. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO OUT?

Both: Even though the stress and energy required to run SMUT, alongside myriad other commitments, have meant that we are finding ourselves less and less at events and parties, there are so many events thrown by friends that we love. You can find us at: Club Are, Dench, 2C Perrea, Aura, Wormhole, SPIT at Superstore, the events run by Bessie and Ollie over at Section and, of course, our own parties.

Q IS FOR… QUOTE. WHAT QUOTE DO YOU LIVE BY?

Both: We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.

R IS FOR… READING. IS THERE A BOOK YOU ALWAYS RETURN TO?

Jordan: JH Engström’s Sketch of Paris and Dorje de Burgh’s what are the roots that clutch. 

Jack: It’s a bit nerdy but Unlimited Intimacy: Reflections on the Subculture of Barebacking by Tim Dean is a book I return to often and think about a lot. It’s an academic book but it left a big impact on me both in terms of the content, and also in terms of what it means to produce literature about queer lives that is complex and not easily digestible for mainstream audiences.

S IS FOR… STAR SIGN. WHAT ARE YOUR BIG THREE?

Jordan: Libra sun, Aquarius moon, Libra rising.

Jack: I am a double Leo. The other one doesn’t matter.

T IS FOR… TV. WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A TV SERIES OF YOUR LIFE?

Jack: Meryl Streep.

Jordan: Scarlett Johansson. She once said she could play, ‘any animal, or any tree…’, so she could probably play me. 

U IS FOR… UNDERRATED. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU THINK IS UNDERRATED?

Both: We’ve found that kindness, earnestness, and vulnerability can easily be overshadowed and underrated in a city as austere and transactional as London. So many people have supported us along the way, offering their time, energy, and trust when there was little reason to do so beyond goodwill. We are really grateful for that. We’re not sure if the city gets any easier with time so it’s important to stick together and support each other in ways we can, regardless of immediate reciprocity. 

V IS FOR… VIDEO. WHAT WAS THE LAST VIDEO YOU FILMED ON YOUR PHONE? 

Jack: The last video I took was of Stuart McKenzie’s performance at Cafe Oto at Nicky’s album launch a few weeks ago. It was fierce. 

Jordan: Perfume Genius at the Roundhouse, on his knees, holding the microphone stand above him during an ambient bridge. Very emotional. 

W IS FOR… WORLD. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM TRAVEL DESTINATION?

Jack: I really want to go to Brazil, particularly for Carnival one year. 

Jordan: I would love to visit Nara, Japan.

X IS FOR… EX. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE TRYING TO GET OVER THEIR EX?

Jordan: Write it out. 

Jack: Block, mute and hide sis. 

Y IS FOR… YOUNGER SELF. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WOULD TELL YOUR 13-YEAR-OLD SELF?

Jordan: Be yourself and know that’s good enough. 

Jack: That the parts of yourself you once despised and mistook for weakness would become the qualities you are most loved for, and would be a source of strength.

Z IS FOR… ZZZ. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT?

Jack: Who says I sleep at night?

Jordan: Move from screen to paper.