Subtle hints from public individuals (9)
I believe the answer is:
overtones
'subtle hints' is the definition.
'public individuals' is the wordplay.
'public' becomes 'overt' ('overt' is associated in meaning with 'public').
'individuals' becomes 'ones' (I've seen this before).
'overt'+'ones'='OVERTONES'
'from' is the link.
(Other definitions for overtones that I've seen before include "Upper partials" , "subtle innuendoes" , "Subtle implications" , "added nuances" .)