Moses was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She later moved to Los Angeles, California with her mother and three siblings after her parents separated. Her childhood has been a direct influence on her musical style, her mother was a gospel singer and she was raised on gospel, jazz, zydeco and blues.

Moses recalls wanting to listen to the music that was then being played on the radio, but her mother made her listen to gospel. The final song on her debut album, "I Think of You (Shirley's Song)", is dedicated to her late mother.