Emile Mosseri on Tour, Fatherhood, and Writing Music That Connects
Emile Mosseri just kicked off his tour for Tryin’ to Be Born, his latest album, and he’s learning how to balance life on the road with life at home. At 39, this is his first tour since becoming a father—and since being nominated for an Academy Award.
Mosseri’s name carries weight in indie film circles, especially after his Oscar-nominated score for Minari cemented him as a go-to composer. But whether he’s scoring a film or writing his own record, his music always comes back to one thing: “feeling.”
Picking the Right Projects
When I set out to write about Mosseri, I wanted to understand how he chooses his work. Scoring films might seem like a dream job, but he’s quick to set the record straight:
“It’s time-consuming and stressful.”
So what makes a project compelling enough to take on?
Roots
Mosseri grew up in Westchester, New York, in a house designed for creativity—literally. His mom was an architect, his dad a therapist. That mix of structure and introspection led him to Berklee, where he threw himself into composing with passion.
“We spent a lot of nights just sitting in our dorms, no girls around, just listening to jazz.”
It’s a refreshingly honest take. Artists often frame their creativity as something tortured. Not Mosseri. No theatrics, no tragic backstory—just some guys, a dorm room, and a dedication to music.
Choosing the Right Projects
These days, he gets plenty of offers for film and TV, but not every project is the right fit. The connection—both to the filmmaker and the material—has to be real.
“If I connect with the filmmaker, if there’s a humanity in their work, if they respond to what I do naturally—it makes a big difference.”
That approach worked for Minari, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. But the road to the Oscars wasn’t what he expected. The nomination came in the middle of a pandemic, in an industry where awards season is as much a political campaign as it is a celebration.
“You have to campaign for all that shit” he says bluntly.
But the best part? Sharing it with his wife.
“That was the best part—us getting dressed up and going together. We’ve been together since we were kids, and to walk into this wild, surreal world was really special.”
The Difference Between Film and Personal Music
Scoring films, Mosseri admits, is freeing in a way.
“I get to be free from the agony of lyrics, from the vulnerability of it. It’s fulfilling, but it’s not my own story.”
His own records, though? That’s different.
“People’s reactions hit differently when it’s your own record. The highs are higher, the lows are lower. There’s no mask.”
That’s what makes performing these songs such a rush.
“Playing these shows is the most fun thing ever.”
But fun feels different now. It’s not just about the music anymore. It’s about the time spent away from home.
Fatherhood and What Comes Next
This tour isn’t like the ones before. He’s not just a musician traveling from city to city. He’s a father leaving his child at home, counting the days until he’s back.
Fatherhood has changed how he sees everything. The stakes are higher. The music feels weightier. The highs and lows of being an artist are no longer just his own.
When I ask about his dream collaborator, he doesn’t hesitate.
“Derek Cianfrance,” he says, naming the Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines director. “I love everything he does.”
With Tryin’ to Be Born getting him back on the road, Mosseri is stepping into a new chapter—one defined by balance. Between art and life. Between creation and family.
He’s always been drawn to the emotional weight of music. But now, the stakes feel different.