Dolly Parton, Billie Eilish Contribute to New Book ‘On the Records’

Dolly Parton and Billie Eilish are among the 80 artists who will discuss some of their favorite, if overlooked, albums for a new book, On the Records, out Nov. 17.

The book features essays by, or conversations with, musicians about the albums that had a huge influence on them, but may otherwise be underrated or unknown. Parton’s contribution, for instance, focuses on Mama Sings, a posthumous collection of traditional songs recorded by her own mother, Avie Lee Parton, in the Seventies, but released in 2024. 

As for Eilish, she wrote about Shake Shook Shaken, the 2014 album by the French-Finnish duo, The Dø. Eilish previously mentioned this album in the 2021 installment of her running Vanity Fair interview series, saying the Dø “changed my life and perspective on music,” and called Shake Shook Shaken was her “main source of inspiration during the making of Happier Than Ever.” 

To give some sense of On the Records’ impressive scope and deep-dive bona fides, the book will feature such chapters as: Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O on ESG’s classic post-punk compilation, A South Bronx Story; Earl Sweatshirt on First Family 4 Life, the third album from Brooklyn rap duo M.O.P.; Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon on singer-songwriter Paul Pena’s posthumously-released New Train (which features Jerry Garcia on pedal steel); the Roots’ Black Thought on Free Your Mind (The 700 West Sessions), a collection of rare recordings from the innovative Indianapolis funk band Amnesty; Chris Stapleton on Real Time, a collaborative record from Nashville hitmakers Darrell Scott and Tim O’Brien; and Willie Colón on jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s 1974 LP, Pieces of Dreams. 

Other contributors include Brian Eno, Margo Price, Erykah Badu, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, Laufey, Jessie Reyez, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Gillian Welch, Finneas, Dev Hynes, Carl Craig, Bettye Lavette, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker, Jamie xx, Kelela, Philip Glass, Meshell Ndegeocello, Terrace Martin, and Yaeji. On the Record was compiled by Brian Beck — a longtime music industry vet — and author and editor, Piotr Orlov.