On Our Radar is The LA Note’s weekly roundup of the artists and creatives who reach out to us. Every week we read the submissions and pitches that land on our desk, then share the people we think you should know: who they are, what they do, what they just released and where to find them. This week’s lineup runs from LA pop-rock and East Tennessee worship to Texas and New England country, Montreal French rap, Miami alt-pop, Oxnard indie rock and experimental R&B from Vermont.
Find one that sticks, give them a follow, and tell them The LA Note sent you.
This week at a glance
- AMPLER: Pop-rock & electronic artist, Los Angeles
- Lily Hooten: Worship leader & singer-songwriter, Knoxville, TN
- Houston Bernard: Country singer-songwriter, New England
- SALVATI: Modern country artist, Germany & Florida
- Trevor Underwood: Texas country artist, New Braunfels, TX
- Seka: French rap artist, Montreal
- Elan DARE: Singer-songwriter & electronic producer, Miami
- Student Days: Indie rock project, Oxnard, CA
- Topia: Experimental R&B artist & producer, Burlington, VT
- Tim Johnson: Country singer-songwriter, Villa Ridge, MO
1. AMPLER
Industry: Music · Talent: Pop-rock & electronic artist · Based: Los Angeles
AMPLER is a Los Angeles pop-rock and electronic singer, songwriter and guitarist who performs in English and Spanish, solo, with a full band, acoustic or alongside a DJ. His single “Sit On My Face” has passed 175,000 streams, according to his press kit, and arrived with a short film built around the song. He also lists a credit as a background dancer on the Michael Jackson biopic, and he says that dance energy is the backbone of his live show.
Connect with AMPLER: Instagram @amplerrr · linktr.ee/Amplerrr · Spotify · TikTok
2. Lily Hooten
Industry: Music · Talent: Worship leader & singer-songwriter · Based: Knoxville, TN
Lily Hooten is a 21-year-old East Tennessee singer-songwriter and worship leader whose debut solo album, Promised Land, came out November 13 on Joel Houston’s Anotherland imprint. She wrote the 10 songs after the death of her grandfather, and the record, produced by David Leonard with Brad King and Collin Healer, works through grief, faith and the hope of Heaven with a quiet, folk-leaning sound. Her publicist says the single “Come Meet the Man” reached No. 3 on Spotify’s All New Christian playlist.
Connect with Lily Hooten: Press release
3. Houston Bernard
Industry: Music · Talent: Country singer-songwriter · Based: New England
Houston Bernard is a country singer-songwriter and Army veteran who was born in Oklahoma and raised in Alaska and Massachusetts. His seventh album, Oklahoma Stars, mixes modern country, Texas country and Red Dirt, and takes its title from family stories of sleeping outside on hot Oklahoma nights. His duet with Ashley Jordan, “Heartbreak in Reverse,” won Song of the Year (Duet) at the 2026 Josie Music Awards, and his latest single, “Thread,” came out October 2.
Connect with Houston Bernard: Instagram @houstonbernardmusic · houstonbernard.com · Listen to “Oklahoma Stars” · Watch “In My Blood”
4. SALVATI
Industry: Music · Talent: Modern country artist · Based: Germany & Florida
SALVATI, the stage name of Sascha Salvati, writes and produces modern country with a soulful edge, and his new five-track release, Miami Vice City, came out November 13. He wrote every song in Florida, where he spends much of the year, and the record plays like a short film: four chapters of a Miami love story followed by an outlaw-country finale. Before going country, he won Popstars with the Gold-certified group Room2012, reached the semifinals of The Voice of Germany in 2021 and judged All Together Now in 2022, according to his pitch.
Connect with SALVATI: Listen to “Miami Vice City”
5. Trevor Underwood
Industry: Music · Talent: Texas country artist · Based: New Braunfels, TX
Trevor Underwood is a Texas country artist from New Braunfels who calls his blend of country storytelling and Southern soul “Texas Country Soul.” He worked his way up from an entry-level sales job to a vice-president role in the corporate world before going all-in on music, and he calls the move a leap of faith. His new single is “Honky Tonk Soul,” and he has shared stages with Eli Young Band, The Castellows and Pat Green.
Connect with Trevor Underwood: Instagram @trevorunderwood · trevorunderwood.com · Spotify · EPK
6. Seka
Industry: Music · Talent: French rap artist · Based: Montreal
Seka is a Montreal artist who makes melodic French rap with an Afrobeat influence. The current single, “Solo,” released September 18, is about the sadness of a betrayal, carried by melody. Seka’s press kit lists coverage from CBC’s The Block and CJSW, plus Spotify playlists La Vibe and Nouveautés francophones.
Connect with Seka: Instagram @sekafm · sekafm.com · Listen to “Solo”
7. Elan DARE
Industry: Music · Talent: Singer-songwriter & electronic producer · Based: Miami
Elan DARE is a Colombia-born, Miami-based singer-songwriter and electronic music producer who writes the lyrics, soundscapes, jazz-pop harmonies and arrangements alone. The first single, “Wake Up,” arrives December 4 as the opening look at the upcoming album Mental Honey. Elan describes the alt-pop songs as personal but also a reflection of the times we are living in.
Connect with Elan DARE: Instagram @elanelandare · elandare.com
8. Student Days
Industry: Music · Talent: Indie rock project · Based: Oxnard, CA
Student Days is the new solo indie and alternative rock project of Oxnard songwriter and producer Juan Esquivel. The debut single, “Bracelet,” out November 23, pairs fuzzy guitars and punchy drums with melodic vocals, with Interpol, Nada Surf and The Pillows as touchstones. It was inspired by Makoto Shinkai’s film Your Name and follows two lovers connected across time and space by a bracelet.
Connect with Student Days: Instagram @studentdays___ · Spotify
9. Topia
Industry: Music · Talent: Experimental R&B artist & producer · Based: Burlington, VT
Topia is a Kiribati-American artist and producer from Burlington, Vermont. “Talk,” released this year, is an experimental R&B single that Topia produced and recorded alone. It sits in the alternative R&B lane we covered in our October Have You Heard It? roundup.
Connect with Topia: Instagram @thankyoutopia · thankyoutopia.com · Listen to “Talk”
10. Tim Johnson
Industry: Music · Talent: Country singer-songwriter · Based: Villa Ridge, MO
Tim Johnson is an independent country singer-songwriter from Villa Ridge, Missouri, and his new single, “Goodbye,” came out November 9. He recorded it with Jeremiah and E.J. at Red Pill Studio in the St. Louis area, with Jacob Detering engineering. His Spotify bio says his earlier single “Beachbound” reached No. 64 on the Music Row chart, and his song “She Does” was used on The Young and the Restless.
Connect with Tim Johnson: Listen to “Goodbye”
How do I get on The LA Note’s radar?
Artists, creatives, managers and publicists can send their work through our submission page. Include a link to the work, your Instagram and a few lines on the story behind it. Every submission that comes in during the week is considered for the next On Our Radar, which publishes every weekend.
Mara Alcantara is a tech-savvy writer with a creative eye who tends to see life in color. Pairing an analytical mind with a knack for spotting talent, she covers music, voice acting, and entertainment for The LA Note. Outside of writing, she’s busy raising her kids and hiking with her family.
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