The L.A. music scene is in the midst of a renaissance, with many indie bands breaking the mold and defying convention. Artists like Silversun Pickups and No Age have expanded the definition of “indie,” spinning it in bold new directions.

At the center of the movement is Castledoor, a band that isn’t afraid to be “happy.” Catchy, joyful melodies abound, with a wider range of emotions pulsing through the core. They’re indie, but look beneath the surface, and there’s so much more.

Named after lead singer Nate Cole’s blogspot, Castledoor formed three years ago in Northern California. The sextet of Cole, Gabe Combs (guitar), Coury Combs (vocals/synths), Lisa Cole (piano/vocals), Brandon Schwartzel (bass) and Joel Plotnik (drums) immediately began writing songs and recording home demos – testing material in local bars and clubs.

With the burgeoning music scene revival in Los Angeles, Castledoor trekked south and began a friendship with Earlimart’s Aaron Espinoza, who eventually helped shape their sound in the studio while recording their debut EP, Follow the Dove (2006). After two years of constant gigging, writing and recording, the band is in the final stages of wrapping their full-length debut, Shoutin’ at Mountains. The CD, which was co-produced with Espinoza, will drop later this year.

Cole, the group’s lead singer and chief songwriter, is as expressive on stage as he is off. He’s a modest guy who simply labels his sound as “poppy indie rock.”

As the indie scene expands and gets more and more attention, where does Castledoor stand?

“There are all these bands that are doing fresh, cutting edge things, and you can’t really call it indie rock, but they are an indie band,” says the singer. “As far as we’re concerned, I don’t really feel like we’re doing brand new and crazy. I feel like what we bring are strong melodies. We’re not afraid of being a band that makes pretty, poppy music. I mean we don’t want to be known as just a ‘happy’ band, but you know.”

So if they’re not doing anything crazy, what is it that has created such a buzz around this group? Seeing Castledoor perform live, their propulsive energy, raw honesty and commanding presence are great indicators.

“I guess we’re a really expressive band,” he chuckles and then retracts himself. “Well, I guess not everyone in the band is. I’m really animated. On stage, I’m immediately trying to convey my feelings to people.”

On the other hand, the two female members give off a somewhat esoteric, aloof allure during the band’s performances, which has been a cause for criticism and much derision. Cole explains that there are people that aren’t physically expressive on stage yet provide certain emotion and presence to the show. For Castledoor, it’s a perfect juxtaposition between Lisa Cole’s and Combs’ cooler demeanors and the exasperated, energetic frontman’s mad parade around the stage like a child on a sugar rush; they provide the harmonious yin to Cole’s yang. Castledoor might be called “poppy” and “happy,” but their songs have deeper and sometimes darker meanings.

“All of my lyrics are really personal for me,” admits Cole. “I hear people talking about us as being a really poppy, ultra happy band – one of those really overly joyous kinda bands – sort of like Polyphonic Spree. I think we sort of project that onstage, but I feel like our lyrics show a pretty wide range of emotions. A lot of times we perform a song that’s sad or dark but has this element of hope, which we always want to convey to people who listen to our music.”

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/castledoormusic.