Duane Slaymaker has been called “the hardest-working man in Lancaster County.” The title is a moniker given by locals and media types looking for a simple way to describe a man whose presence and style is hard to define on the surface. The Lancaster-based singer-songwriter is known to most of his fans through acoustic performances of cover songs at restaurants and clubs spanning from Virginia to Central Pa. But few know the creative touch of his own work. Slaymaker himself comes across as shy and humble, but to those who have the chance to meet and speak with him, he is as engaging as the persona he puts on for his crowds.

A Lancaster County native, Slaymaker started out in music at a very early age. His love of music was honed through lessons starting at age six, and further cultivated through performances at churches, summer camps and talent shows.

“I think [the beginning] was my summer Bible camp,” Slaymaker recalls. “I had something that I wanted to share with others. At the time I didn’t know how to explain what I called ‘my special feelings.’ I was not good at sports, or necessarily a great student. I just knew that music, creativity and expression were my thing.”

Slaymaker joined his first group project in high school, performing at dances and other venues. Even after high school, Slaymaker continued to play with a variety of musical projects, such as the band Tyz, which once opened for The Guess Who. But throughout his collaborations with other musicians, Slaymaker had the stirrings to expand his skills, so he began to return to his acoustic roots and create a reputation for himself as a solo performer.

“I have performed the acoustic show for 16 years now. I have matured greatly as an artist, musician and performer,” Slaymaker states proudly. “In the early years, it was mostly about throwing as much sound and energy into a three- to four-hour period as humanly possible; I have several ‘guitars with scars’ to prove this. Now, those things are still important, but I concentrate more on playing well and what I’m doing with my voice.”

And what Slaymaker can do with that voice can melt the ice cubes in your vodka tonic. His repertoire of cover songs runs from America to Jimmy Buffett to Van Morrison. His voice recalls comparisons to an early James Taylor, with that backwoods soul and thought-provoking timbre that gets even the most jaded bar-goer to turn and crack a small smile.

“I love the fact that I can bring enjoyment and happiness to someone’s day through music, which brings the same to me,” the singer-songwriter beams. “I also love that I can support myself through playing music, which for the most part isn’t like work at all.”

But don’t be fooled, Slaymaker is more than just a voice to someone else’s songs. His original material has a haunting quality that makes you want to learn more about the man behind the guitar. Although Slaymaker is proud of his performances of covers (many which are featured on Live At The Symposium), his original material is where his heart rests. “I am proud of all the tunes that I’ve written,” he notes, “[but] I am partial to a few. The song ‘Harmony,’ the title song on my first CD, is a special song for several reasons. First, it is the one that everyone seems to like and request. Second, I wrote it – I swear – in an afternoon before a studio session. I went in and told Donnie Holcombe, ‘Scrap what we had planned on today, I want to record this new song.’ I did three takes, chose the best and that was it. The last song on the CD, ‘Do It All Again,’ is great in that it is so simple and personal. The song absolutely captures what I was thinking and where I was in my life in 1998.

“My favorite original off the new CD is the song ‘Long Way From L.A.’ It is a proud moment. It is my first ‘story song’: a real-life experience that a friend told me about. It tells the story of an aspiring actor and the sacrifices he makes at home to take a shot at stardom in L.A. I think it tells a complete story from start to finish in four minutes. You can really picture the guy going through the motions of the story and feel his heartache.”

Slaymaker works hard at his craft, not only in practicing but in performing as well. His schedule would make any type-A personality go off the deep end. “I am currently doing around 160 shows per year,” he explains. “My thinking is that everyone needs to make adjustments and compromises in schedules to fit their working hours. Show bookings have to be an important priority in my line of work. With that being said, I try to arrange my schedule such that it leaves time for my family, my woodworking business and my other passions. Sometimes there are tough decisions to be made when a show offer conflicts with personal plans. The bittersweet fact is that the choice is ultimately mine to make.”

But Slaymaker’s efforts don’t simply stop there. Between gigs, business and family, he has been working on a new studio CD, his first since 1998.

“I have been working on my next studio CD for an embarrassingly long time,” he chuckles heartily. “It really is almost finished. I recorded in Northern Va., where I recorded my first CD, Harmony. I just loved working with Donnie Holcombe, the engineer and co-producer on that project, and insist on making the drive for this project. Due to my show and woodshop schedule – and of course my recent marriage to Stacy – it has been hard to schedule studio time.”

Still, Slaymaker remains positive and hopeful about the prospect of his new material. “I am very excited about this new project,” he opines. “The new original material shows a maturity and refinement in my writing.”

Consult his website at www.duaneslaymaker.com for more information, or pick up a CD at Symposium Restaurant or Music Den in Lancaster.