Arséne Delay is a multi-talented daughter of New Orleans with a deep, universal soul, reflected in her singing, her theatre work, and in her warm relationships with audiences around the world. DeLay is a member of the large Boutte tribe, including aunt and uncle musicians Lillian and John, and DeLay now occupies the matriarchal home. The vocal powerhouse sings and plays guitar under her own name and with local bands including Funk Monkey, the Bayou Saints (with Matt Clark) and The A2D2 Experience, her partnership with fellow vocalist Antoine Diel. DeLay’s repertoire includes her original music, the New Orleans canon heavily tinged by gospel, jazz, and rock and roll, and every note informed by her confidence and sense of identity. She has toured the world and performed at marquee events, including the Ascona Jazz and Heritage Festival, Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, and the Jazz and Heritage Festival at home in New Orleans. Her debut album, Comin’ Home, included the popular title cut, while her 2023 release, Come Back to New Orleans featured a collaboration with songwriter Lawrence Henry Gobble and DJ Adam Joseph. 

DeLay earned a BFA in Theatre Arts at Marquette University in Wisconsin and a Master’s in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts, and spent a season with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and with the LA band Vaud and the Villains before returning to the Crescent City. She remains active in theatre, film and television, with roles in NCIS: New Orleans, Nine Lives: A Musical Adaptation Live, Reawakening and Weather Girl, among others.