Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Ray Morris.
Hi Steven, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Steven Ray Morris (Ray is my middle name) or STEVEN! as most Murderinos enjoy yelling out when they see me around town (It’s very sweet). I am a typical millennial Aries with a soft heart (Selena and I are basically birthday twins) and a penchant for never ever sleeping (only napping). Even though I grew up in Southern California, I took a few detours along the way (Santa Barbara, New Zealand, The UK) before landing back in Los Angeles in 2011. After finding after-work laughs in comedy shows, I discovered this ‘thing’ called podcasts, and with a film school background, I quickly took to the immediacy and intimacy that it had to offer. I started my own podcast in 2015 with my college buddy Sara Iyer, The Purrrcast (talking to cat people because they can’t talk to their cats), that we only recently retired in 2024. Through that show, I met and started doing production duties for dozens of comedians and creative folks’ podcasts in apartments, homes, and studios across Los Angeles. Fatefully, I worked up the courage to ask podcaster Georgia Hardstark to be a guest on The Purrrcast in 2016, which turned into a blossoming collaboration while she was starting a new show with comedy icon Karen Kilgariff, a ‘little’ true crime comedy podcast called My Favorite Murder.
A whirlwind and life-changing SEVEN years later (hundreds of episodes produced/engineered/and edited by yours truly, gracing the stage of the Sydney Opera House, the podcast being an inspiration for one of the greatest albums of the 21st century, Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher, consistently number one each week on the Apple Podcasts charts, and ushering in this new wave of true crime obsessed), I left the show in 2023 to continue forging my own path and following my own passions: interviewing interesting friends, scientists, and filmmakers on my podcast, See Jurassic Right, a podcast about Jurassic Park, dinosaurs, science and natural history, sci-fi movies, and anything else that keeps adults curious. Yes, I was introduced to the director of Jurassic World, Colin Trevorrow, as the world’s biggest Jurassic Park fan once, and yes, I blushed uncontrollably. In all these intervening years, I connected with so many murderinos, true crime fans, podcast royalty, and even my heroes.
A child of divorce like most 80s and 90s kids (did all single moms listen to Shania Twain on blast in the car???), Step By Step was always my favorite TGIF show. I met previous Voyage LA feature (and the sweetie to nominate me for this piece), the illustrious and inspiring Christine Lakin while producing her first podcast, Worst Ever. One of the stars of Step By Step (she played fiery tomboy Al Lambert – now badass television director and choreographer, plus iconic Aquarius), I was entranced hearing her and her cohost, Alaa Khaled, and a bevy of other former child stars (Hi Jodie!) generously share their stories and life lessons growing up in this industry. WHICH I hope to help continue with the newly launched Step By Step rewatch podcast, Keanan And Lakin Give You Déjà Vu, where Christine, along with light of my life Stacy Keanan (who played Dana Foster on the show), share their memories and behind the scenes stories about working on the show and the TGIF life (It’s a first-time watch for Stacy!). It’s truly been a privilege to be part of their walk down memory lane, and it’s only just begun!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There’s a lot of big personalities, a lot of moving parts, and a lot of perceived opportunity in this city. As a millennial, I’ve been constantly torn between what I want to do and what I should be doing and just finding that right balance. The biggest obstacle for me has been accepting when a project no longer serves me and when to make those big, scary changes that seem impossible at first but are needed to continue growing and evolving as a creator and as a person. It’s hard to make those changes at all, much less handle them with grace, and I’m learning to be more grateful for every part of the journey and allowing myself to grieve in a world where grief is considered a rebellious act.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am podcast producer, audio engineer, and editor with a passion for research and a love of hosting, too. Whether generating my own podcasts (See Jurassic Right, The Purrrcast ) or collaborating with others (Keanan And Lakin Give You Déjà Vu, My Favorite Murder, Ologies, Worst Ever), I really strive for integrity and authenticity in my work. I’m all about balancing professional polish with independent grit to make my work and work with others stand out and have a personality. As an engineer, it’s all about making the hosts of shows feel comfortable and free to be themselves and take risks. As an editor, it’s NOT about fixing anyone’s mess but about shaping the hosts’ vision and allowing their voices to sing, being the truest version of themselves. My background as a writer, both fiction and non-fiction, keeps my sights on the big picture of any project, its themes, the ‘why’ of the project, and how to have the most fun, of course. Genuinely proud of the seven years of My Favorite Murder recording, editing, and releasing episodes twice a week, in real-time, to massive success.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think the concept of ‘risk,’ like risky behavior always sounds more salacious than it can seem at first. If your heart’s racing, it’s risky, baby! Minimizing risk to me is finding that ~ human connection ~. I’ve had the privilege of working with a lot of my heroes, and even when I didn’t have the self-esteem to feel like I was worthy of this privilege (yes, there have been tears of joy, oh god, why am I admitting this), it was all about setting those fears aside to connect with the people I wanted to collaborate with on projects or even just to say “Hi, your work means a lot to me.” There is a little bit of ignorance required in risk-taking; there have been so many moments in my career where I looked back and said, “I can’t believe I did that (in a good way).” If there’s a dream you have, just push through those anxieties for as long as you can stand. You are more capable than your brain tells you. Every risk I’ve taken hasn’t paid off, but I’ve grown because of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/stevenraymorris
- Instagram: instagram.com/stevenraymorris
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenraymorris
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-jurassic-right/id1239538917 and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keanan-and-lakin-give-you-d%C3%A9j%C3%A0-vu/id1731434430
Image Credits
Mandee Johnson Photography
CourtneyLindbergPhotography
CatCon Worldwide
Abigail Ervin-Penner
Sarah M Gonzalez
Kaveh Taherian
