The Gated Community

a country band for the 99%

For Media: View/download full EPK here

"Americana to fight fascism."  -Adobe & Teardrops

In 2006 South Asian-American singer-songwriter Sumanth Gopinath started a country/bluegrass band in the storied West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis called The Gated Community. Influenced by his dad’s record collection and modern Americana bands like The Flatlanders, the band mixes folk, bluegrass and country music with a raw, rock edge. 

Sumanth moved in 2005 from New Haven to Minneapolis, where he met like-minded musicians with whom he would form The Gated Community—a delightfully raucous country band whose lively shows and pointed social commentary quickly gained a  following in the Twin Cities. 

Now in its twentieth year, the band has honed its craft and is known for its gripping original songs, beautiful vocal harmonies, and multiple lead singers. TGC's style draws comparisons to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Gillian Welch, and the Band, among others. Music critic Chris Riemenschneider describes the band as “more familial and relevant than ever,” and Adventures in Americana contributor Doyle Turner notes that the band’s music provides “an arms-wide-open offering to everyone who listens.”

The band’s current lineup includes Sumanth (vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards), Beth Hartman (vocals, percussion, organ), Rosie Harris (vocals, banjo, cello), Paul Hatlelid (vocals, drums, acoustic guitar), Cody Johnson (vocals, bass), and Nate Knutson (vocals, guitars, mandolin).

Recent Releases

Hope to Hell: fundraising EP for MIRAC

Hope to Hell was released in February–April 2026  and all proceeds from it are going to MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee), an all-volunteer, grassroots, multiracial, and multinational immigrant rights mass-movement organization. The EP—which consists of three songs—is a musical homage to Minnesotans resisting the federal occupation of our community. 

Goodbye Work: Sixth Full-Length Album

Their most collaborative and critically acclaimed album yet, Goodbye Work, released in June of 2025, features each of the band members singing lead vocals. For the first time, founding member Cody Johnson takes a turn on leads, singing on one of the standout tracks “Took In.” Paul Hatlelid sings “Petty,” while Nate Knutson sings “What I Hate” and his original “Weed Smoke and Worry.” The rest of the lead vocals are shared by the band’s primary singers Sumanth Gopinath, Rosie Harris, and Beth Hartman. 

Links: 

• Website
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• Bandcamp
• Spotify
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