“All of these songs [on the album] come from my life,” said Taylor. “I feel as though my life is full. It’s full of a lot of different stuff – family and friends, and it feels about right.”

Taylor’s tour plans have him kicking off the two-month run in Duluth November 8. He’ll make stops at arena-sized venues, keeping to Midwest locales.

Prior to the U.S. shows, the singer/songwriter will be in Europe for a smattering of gigs.

The new outing comes one year after Taylor was last on the road. 2001’s excursion – which saw him backed with a full band, multimedia production and new stage design – earned him a No. 19 spot on POLLSTAR’s Top 100 grossing tours of the year.

October Road is Taylor’s first album of new material in five years. His last, 1997’s Hourglass, won him a Grammy for best pop album. Bridging the new material gap was 2000’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2.

Fans who order the new album online through Taylor’s official Web site will automatically be entered in a sweepstakes with the top prize of an autographed acoustic guitar.

Other goodies include passes to the tour, a DVD player and Taylor paraphernalia.