She’s the name behind some of your favourite songs, and now Harleymoon Kemp is finally taking her own voice on tour around the UK. We headed down to King Tut’s in Glasgow for opening night, and honestly? What a way to kick things off.
Before Harleymoon even stepped onstage, we got the absolute chaos (in the best way) of the Yeehaw duo – Jonny Rattlesnake DJing and Mama Yeehaw teaching line dances like it was a full-on country fitness class. And because it’s Scotland, even on a Thursday night, the crowd was well up for it. Within minutes, we were learning dances to Honky Tonk Highway, Cotton Eye Joe and even Heather on the Hill.
Not going to lie, by the time they finished, I’d basically done my daily workout. Sweaty, left-footed, and honestly so much fun.
Then Harleymoon came out, and instantly the room felt warmer. There’s no denying she’s a total powerhouse when it comes to writing songs – she can turn anything literally into a hit. A random moment, a story someone told her, a heartbreak, even something silly that happened that week – she has a way of turning real life into something catchy, emotional, and just authentically her.
And that’s exactly what her show felt like: her stories, her life, her humour, her heart, all wrapped up in a set that took us from goosebumps to giggles.
She played loads of tracks, including one of my favourites, “Heart Back in Tennessee,” which she admitted was about “someone who definitely knows it’s about him.” The whole crowd loved it.
We also got a sneak peek of her next single, “Mutual Ex Boyfriend,” which came from her realising she and a new friend had an ex in common. As she told me before the show, “you do find your best friends through your exes,” and honestly – she’s not wrong. The song is funny, relatable, and classic Harleymoon.
Every track came with a little story, and that’s part of what made the night feel so special. She chatted about the idea behind the show, “Bad Dates and Heartbreaks,” and how she uses everyday life to write songs. One of my top moments was “Refund,” which she wrote about spending money travelling for a long-distance relationship that just “wasn’t worth it” . It was brilliant.
She also shared stories about visiting Nashville, seeing the plaques where Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood recorded, and about the viral video singing to her parents. There wasn’t a single moment where the energy dipped – she had the whole room with her the entire time.
And to top off the already emotional day, it was also the day she got played on Sara Cox’s Radio 2 show. She admitted she cried, and honestly, I would too – what a milestone on the first day of tour.
She closed with a fun cover of “Proud Mary” and a festive moment with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” before ending on “Lucky.” And that’s when it really hit – the crowd singing back, the packed room, her first ever show in Glasgow, and the start of something huge. You could see how much it meant to her.
Harleymoon’s energy is the kind you wish you could bottle. Fun, heartfelt, funny, emotional – exactly what a gig should be. She made the whole room feel like part of her story, and that’s a rare kind of magic.
What a show. What a night. Bring on the rest of the tour.
Review by Lauren Page
