Arséne DeLay is a daughter of New Orleans in the deepest sense — a member of the large Boutté musical tribe, niece of Lillian and John Boutté, who grew up inside the city's gospel, jazz, and rock and roll traditions. After years away — a BFA in Theatre Arts from Marquette, a Master's in Acting from CalArts, a season with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and a residency with the LA band Vaud and the Villains — she came home to the Crescent City with her voice and her purpose fully formed, settling into the family's matriarchal home.
DeLay sings and plays guitar under her own name and with a rotating cast of local projects: Funk Monkey, the Bayou Saints (co-led with songwriter-guitarist Matt Clark), and The A2D2 Experience, her partnership with fellow vocalist Antoine Diel. Her repertoire runs from her own original songs to the New Orleans canon, every note informed by confidence and identity. She has toured the world and played marquee events including the Ascona Jazz and Heritage Festival, Edinburgh's Fringe Festival, and Jazz Fest at home.
Her debut album Comin' Home — built around the return-to-New-Orleans theme — included the popular title cut, and her 2023 release Come Back to New Orleans featured a collaboration with songwriter Lawrence Henry Gobble and DJ Adam Joseph. She remains active in theatre, film, and television as well, with roles in NCIS: New Orleans and Treme-adjacent projects among her credits.
