Mandy Moore Says Her 15-Month-Old Son Gus Is a 'Little Parrot' and Loves Music Like His Parents

With two singer-songwriters as parents, it's not surprising that Gus, the 14-month-old son of Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith, has music in his blood.

"He has no choice," says the This Is Us actress, whose new album, In Real Life, will be released Friday. "He loves it when Dad plays the guitar and when Mom and Dad sing to him. But the gibberish songs I sing to him while I'm changing his diaper, those will live in our house only!"

In Real Life, on which Moore, 38, collaborated with Goldsmith and members of his band, Dawes, the singer gets vulnerable, sharing personal songs including one that was written while the couple were trying to conceive Gus, while also navigating life during the pandemic.

"It's the last song on the record and it was really about us grappling with what was happening in the world and also grappling with the fact that we wanted to start a family and it wasn't happening," says Moore. "When that monthly reminder would show up, I would be devastated."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Writing the song, "Every Light", "was our way of staying hopeful," continues Moore. "It was this ode to the future child of ours, we're here, we're waiting for you whenever you're ready. It's the most personal song but it also started the journey of us making this record."

Now that Gus is here, "we're just having so much fun," says Moore of new motherhood. "He's walking now, he's talking. He gives kisses, and he's like a little parrot. He loves the moon and every day he wakes up and says, 'Moon go away?' It's just the best."

Moore says she's even gotten motherhood inspiration from Rebecca Pearson, the matriarch she's played for six seasons on This Is Us, which airs its series finale on May 24.

"I've been so lucky to have the ultimate guide with Rebecca," she says. "She's human and fallible, but her family and being a mother are always her top priority."

Of the show ending, "I feel grateful that I have the emotional catharsis of the record coming out and being able to go out on the road and process everything," says Moore. "I'm definitely feeling all of the things!"

For more from Mandy Moore, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.