Ultimate-Guitar.com recently caught up with former WHITE ZOMBIE bassist Sean Yseult, who has just released her own book - I'm With The Band: Backstage Notes From The Chick In White Zombie. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Q: Since you have a rare and early female perspective from the mostly male-dominated world of heavy metal, what advice would you give to other women looking to get into that scene?

Yseult: "If you are doing what you truly want to do, not to prove something or for other reasons, and you work hard and do it well, then you will be respected for it. Your attitude, the way you behave, all of these things will chalk up your level of respect and being able to hang. I've been usually the only girl on the tour besides strippers and groupies backstage, and it's important to respect everyone but differentiate yourself. In situations like these, it helped that I was seen as one of the guys."

Q: You were the sole female (not only in the band), but in the entire metal world, spanning from 1985-1996—why do you think that was, and why do you think that’s changed?

Yseult: "This statement is actually untrue, although in my press release for some reason. There were a few other women in metal, and much more feminine that me: LITA FORD and DORO PESCH, not to mention VIXEN and others. I mention in my book that when White Zombie entered the metal realm (around 1989), I was the only female in our world, which was the super heavy thrash metal bands, etc. We toured with TESTAMENT, PANTERA, THE OBSESSED, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, DANZIG - tell me where there is a female in this equation?! It was crazy. I'm sure Lita and Doro were touring at the time somewhere, but not that I heard of. They were also marketed as metal vixens, which was something I never was nor wanted to be - I was just a musician riffing, writing, and head banging. I'm not saying it's better, it's just who I am - I never wanted to be recognized as a girl, just a fellow musician. Of course my idols were JOAN JETT and DAVID BOWIE, so I always liked the androgyny thing and having people interested in you beyond what your gender is."

Q: Although the title of the book is in reference to Pamela des Barres I’m With The Band, you did actually have to say those words (“but I’m IN the band!”) more than once to gain access to your own stage entrance or dressing room – that is how male oriented things still were……how did that make you feel? Is it still like this?

Yseult: "It made me feel frustrated - I was getting ready to miss my set! Obviously they couldn't start without me, but for everyone to think I was slacking off somewhere, when instead I was being denied access - very frustrating! I'm sure in some backwards part of this country this might still happen for a girl musician."

Go to this location for the complete interview.