Sunderland artist wins Underoath music video competition

Jun 30 2009 by Sam Wood, The Journal

A TALENTED young North East artist could be on his way to the top, after winning a worldwide competition to create a music video for an American band.

Hundreds of people from across the globe entered the competition, run by rock band Underoath, who are signed to the Virgin Records music label.

And Davey Purland, who lives on Ryedale in Wallsend, was chosen by the band as the winner.

His four-and-a-half minute animated video for the song Too bright to see, too loud to hear features soldiers, tanks and planes fighting off an alien invasion and has become a hit on YouTube, with nearly 2,000 views and dozens of comments.

It was all designed and drawn on the computer in his bedroom at home.

The former Sunderland University and Churchill Community College student said he was delighted to have won and hoped the award would be a boost for his career.

The 23-year-old said: “I only found out about the competition shortly before it closed so I was working 14 hours a day for about three weeks to get it finished in time. I don’t really know where the inspiration came from, I just thought the song had a bit of a military theme.