LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Mandy Moore stepped onto the small stage at Amoeba Records in Hollywood with a quick wave.



Mandy Moore, now 25, is following her bliss with her new album, "Amanda Leigh."



"Hi, shoppers," she giggled somewhat self-consciously.



The audience of several hundred, stuffed between the music racks at the landmark store, giggled back.



"This is so weird to be playing here. I live in the neighborhood, and this is where I get my CDs and my DVDs!" she said. Then she launched into selections from her sixth studio album, "Amanda Leigh."



Somewhere out of sight was her new husband, Ryan Adams -- the alt-country hero she married in March, after a one-month engagement.



It's been 10 years since Moore burst onto the pop scene as a lanky, blonde 15-year-old singing and dancing her way through a sweetly suggestive tune called "Candy."  Her musical fare now is more eclectic and stripped down -- even featuring vintage instruments such as the clavinet and melodica.  Watch Moore talk candidly about her new direction »



Unlike such early contemporaries as Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, Moore has gone for cred over commercial success in both her music and movie careers, and it suits her well. There's an authenticity there, as well as a genuine warmth and charm.



Moore spoke about her artistic growth, a musical funk, and working with her new husband. The following is an edited version of the interview.



CNN: A friend of mine made an interesting analogy, saying these last two albums of yours (including 2007's folk-leaning "Wild Hope") are to your music career what "Saved!" was to your movie career, in terms of establishing yourself critically.



Mandy Moore: I take that as a compliment. I mean, I sort of feel lucky to have the opportunity to do film stuff and music at the same time, because I love doing both. But ... if you make a move one way with one side of your career, you sort of have to balance it out on the other side.



I feel like with the last two records, I have been in control creatively. They are probably more like some of the cooler indie movies that I have been lucky enough to get to do.



CNN: You could have continued in the mainstream pop world, like some of the singers you came up with.



Moore: I sort of started around the same time as a lot of my contemporaries, like the Britney Spearses and the Christina Aguileras of the world, and they are amazing and everybody is still around and doing their thing. I just never truly felt comfortable with the music that I was singing -- even back then. I mean, I was happy to have the opportunity, but I was still scratching my head, "Well, there has got to be something else, there has got to be something more." ...



It's just about doing what you are truly passionate about and fighting for that. I could have stayed on the same path that I started on, and who knows what would have happened if I would have found success with that -- or none at all -- but I knew I would not have been happy if I had made that decision. And I'm doing what I love now, and I think that's more important than anything.



CNN: The new album is called "Amanda Leigh," which is your real name. So is this kind of a reintroduction to people about who you really are -- a grown-up Mandy Moore?



Moore: To be quite honest, even though the record is called "Amanda Leigh," and that is my given name, there wasn't a tremendous amount of thought behind the idea of "This is the real me. Forget the Mandy Moore stuff. That's kid stuff." No, it was kind of a simple, almost frivolous decision.



My friend Mike Viola [of the Candy Butchers
who has gone indie route Is Leigh her given middle or last name? what is the name of the new album
Mandy Moore "Amanda Leigh," and that is my "Amanda Leigh."
question: who has gone indie route, answer: Mandy Moore | question: Is Leigh her given middle or last name?, answer: "Amanda Leigh," and that is my | question: what is the name of the new album, answer: "Amanda Leigh."