Mandy Moore Previews ‘In Real Life’ LP with “Four Moons,” a Song About ‘Trying to Savor Every Moment’

On May 13, singer/songwriter/This Is Us star Mandy Moore will release In Real Life, a new studio album featuring heavy contributions from her husband, Taylor Goldsmith of the Los Angeles indie/rock band Dawes.

This week, Moore debuted “Four Moons” as a preview of the record. A heartfelt, earnest rumination on the bonds of love, the reflective song touches on some of her experiences with Goldsmith and their growing family:

“I want to hold your hand/A little too much/Step on your toes/Pull you in close/Never really close enough,” sings Moore in the track.

Said Moore of the song:

“It’s about caring about someone so much and trying to savor every moment before it slips away to the next — things like our first Christmas together, or a meal we cooked that came out so wrong we just had to laugh about it. It’s asking, ‘Where did all the days go? When did everything start to feel like it was on fast-forward?’, and just wanting to squeeze him and our life together as tight as I can and not let go.”

The title track from the record was previously shared as a music video featuring several of Moore’s This Is Us cast mates, including Chrissy Metz, Susan Kelechi Watson, Sterling K. Brown, Chris Sullivan, Justin Hartley, and Jon Huertas, as well as Moore’s friends Hilary Duff, Wilmer Valderrama, Tess Holiday, Skylar Astin and Ashley Streicher.

In Real Life will be Moore’s record since 2020’s Silver Landings, a reflective album that sounded a bit inspired by the iconic Laurel Canyon scene of Los Angeles.

Just as Silver Landings did, In Real Life features collaborative input from Goldsmith, as well as his brother/bandmate Griffin Goldsmith, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, keyboardist Lee Pardini (The War on Drugs, Aimee Mann), and bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Sharon Van Etten, Phoebe Bridgers).

“So much of this record came from future-tripping on the next chapter of my life and what it might look like: what parenthood would feel like, how it would change everything, and all the excitement and trepidation that comes with that,” said Mandy Moore in a statement. “At the same time it was about celebrating and acknowledging where we were at the moment and really trying to be completely present in the everyday—which is maybe the hardest part of the human condition.

“To me it’s all about staying open, staying aware, staying sensitive and empathetic to the people around me,” she added. “There’s something about expressing myself through lyrics and melody that makes me feel whole, and I see it as a privilege to have that outlet. And even though this album is very specific to me and my experience—there’s songs about my baby, my husband, my father, my friends—I hope everyone’s able to see their own lives in it. I hope they’re able to come along on the journey with me, and put themselves in the driver’s seat.”

Click here to pre-order In Real Life on CD from our Rock Cellar Store
Click here to pre-order In Real Life on LP from our Rock Cellar Store

Mandy Moore will also hit the road for a summer tour, her first proper tour in more than a decade:

Friday, June 10 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Saturday, June 11 – The Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
Sunday, June 12 – The Carolina Theatre of Durham – Durham, NC
Tuesday, June 14 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
Wednesday, June 15 – Webster Hall – New York, NY
Friday, June 17 – The Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg – Williamsburg, VA
Saturday, June 18 – Music Box at the Borgata – Atlantic City, NJ
Sunday, June 19 – Royale – Boston, MA
Tuesday, June 21 – The Ridgefield Playhouse – Ridgefield, CT
Wednesday, June 22 – The Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON, Canada
Thursday, June 23 – Roxian Theatre – McKees Rocks, PA
Saturday, June 25 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
Wednesday, July 06 – AT&T Performing Arts Center – Strauss Square – Dallas, TX
Thursday, July 07 – The Heights Theater – Houston, TX
Friday, July 08 – The Paramount Theatre – Austin, TX
Sunday, July 10 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO
Monday, July 11- The Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
Tuesday, July 12 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
Thursday, July 14 – The Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO
Friday, July 15 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
Sunday, July 17 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
Monday, July 18 – Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR
Wednesday, July 20 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Thursday, July 21 – Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA
Friday, July 22 – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, July 24 – Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI