His band, Down to Earth Approach, is on its first headlining tour, taking the members far from Batavia, N.Y., the rural upstate community where the then-17-year-old members formed the band about five years ago.

“We have a fan base all over the place because we?ve been touring, opening for bigger bands,” Lullo said. “But on this tour, we can actually play longer than a 30-minute [opening] set.”

The band is touring behind its second album, “Come Back To You.”

The bittersweet pop songs on the album tell the tale of a young band grappling with the hurdles between them and any degree of success.

“I tried to make the songs a lot more personal,” said Lullo, the principal songwriter. “When I wrote the first album, I was younger and sort of embarrassed to write from the heart. For this album, I tried to do that the whole time.”

In the three years since the group?s debut album, “Another Intervention,” Lullo admits that he and his bandmates have learned a lot about themselves as musicians.

The result is tighter playing and songs with disarmingly intimate qualities.

“Down to Earth Approach really expresses a style implied by their name,” wrote a critic for punknews.org. “Their friendly songs will put their arm around you and tell you everything?s going to be all right.”

But Lullo, who once worked at Vagrant Records, which later signed the band, has few illusions about the work the members must do to build their fan base and hit success.

“If we could get to a point where we are financially stable, that will be a major goal,” he said.

Yet despite the struggles, Lullo said he and his bandmates can?t imagine taking any other road.

“This is all I?ve ever really wanted to do,” he said. “There is a lot of energy in our band. It is a pretty simple show, but we have fun playing the music and sharing it with our audience.”

IF YOU GO

Down to Earth Approach, Damiera (Equal Vision), Treaty Of Paris, Stella Wake Up & guests

» Venue: The Ottobar, 2549 W. Howard St., Baltimore

» When: 7 p.m. today

» Details: $10; missiontix.com