In the late 1970s, the Akron music scene was buzzing with underground energy, and one standout band was Unit 5, fronted by a teenage Tracey Thomas.
Videos from that time show Thomas swaying to the beat, her headband wrapped around bleached blonde hair and eyes framed with thick black eyeliner.
The vibe in the room was electric 鈥� a fleeting, legendary moment of local rock history.
鈥淧eople were flying in from New York, record producers coming to see bands like Hammer Damage, Unit 5. We really got a lot of attention, but they came to us,鈥� Thomas said.
At the time, she had no idea of the special nature of what she was a part of in Akron.
While other new wave acts like Devo and The Waitresses rose to fame, Unit 5 was passed over by major labels despite the attention.
鈥淪omething happened, and none of them followed through. And so, we鈥檙e like, 鈥榃ell, that was our shot. Let鈥檚 just call it a day,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚f I鈥檇 gotten that life, I think it would have eaten me alive. I wouldn鈥檛 have been good at the attention, the criticism, the schedule."
After a break, she returned to music 鈥� learning to play instruments, writing her own songs and taking control of her sound.
鈥淚 just decided I need to learn how to play an instrument, so I can get the music that's in my head out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got daughters. I don鈥檛 want them to feel like they have to go to pasture.鈥�
This week, Thomas releases her deeply personal acoustic album, 鈥淲ords Can鈥檛 Save Us Now,鈥� alongside her memoir, 鈥淟ittle Miss Akron,鈥� a nod to her early years in the pageant scene.
鈥淚 was literally Little Miss Akron. And then I was Little Miss Fairlawn. I was a photo model from the age of like 3. And then I walked the runway from 6 to 10,鈥� she said.
Her new album features original songs like 鈥淲ax on Fire,鈥� a reflection of her life, and covers of tracks from some of her musical influences, including Taylor Swift.
"My kids were like, 鈥極h my God, please don鈥檛 cover Taylor Swift,鈥欌�� Thomas said. 鈥淏ut I hear 鈥楾his Is Me Trying鈥� from my perspective as an older woman, and it sounds like a love song to my adult kids as an old lady.鈥�
Reflecting on rejection and resilience
The new album marks Thomas' first collaboration in more than a decade with producer Ryan Humbert of The Shootouts.
Recorded at Son of Moondog Studios in Kent, the album features five new songs co-written with Humbert, as well as covers of tracks by Akron legend Jim Ballard, U2 and The Waterboys.
The dream to create an all-acoustic collection of songs has been nearly two decades in the making, and Thomas said she鈥檚 thrilled with how it turned out.
In conjunction with the album鈥檚 release, Thomas' memoir gives a glimpse into her beginnings in pageants to her rise in Akron鈥檚 punk scene to the road to discovering her true musical identity.
鈥淚f that had been my life, it would have been a lot to handle. But now, I鈥檓 still doing what I love on my own terms."Tracey Thomas
Recalling her early days as a musician, a producer who worked with the Bangles told Thomas she was 鈥渢oo shy鈥� on stage and needed to work on her stage presence.
鈥淒on鈥檛 tell me I can鈥檛 do something. It makes me mad, and then I try harder,鈥� she said.
Thomas said that鈥檚 when she found 鈥渢he thing鈥� and became comfortable on stage. She said she and other musicians from Akron became very tight knit.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really think about it at the time, but when I look back, it felt special. It felt really fun,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople were flying in from New York, and record producers coming to see the bands. We thought we were going to do something huge.鈥�
Thomas started another experimental punk band called Gone to Egypt, and over the years and throughout her various projects she released eight total albums.
鈥淭here was a day in my life where I was in a dressing room in New York City at Danceteria with guys from Television. My friend Patty from The Waitresses, Capitol Records. Pete Townsend was supposedly upstairs,鈥� she said.
Creating on her terms
Though she never found mainstream success with her punk bands, Thomas said she is happy with the way the pieces fell into place.
鈥淚f that had been my life, it would have been a lot to handle. But now, I鈥檓 still doing what I love on my own terms,鈥� she said.
She said she got married and was happy living a domestic life. But when that relationship ended, she felt a call to create music of her own.
鈥淚 took a couple of years and honed my craft. And then the songs just started coming, like it was crazy 鈥� Waking me up in the middle of the night,鈥� she said.
From the smoky clubs of the 鈥�70s to a reflective acoustic set in 2025, Thomas has proved that the music never really stops 鈥� it just finds new ways to be heard.
Thomas celebrates the release of 鈥淲ords Can鈥檛 Save Us Now鈥� and 鈥淟ittle Miss Akron鈥� with a special performance at Weathervane Playhouse Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
She will perform her new album in its entirety, backed by a six-piece acoustic ensemble, including members of The Shootouts and 15-60-75 The Numbers Band.
