Songfacts®:

• The title track of Temper Trap's third album, "Thick as Thieves" got its first play on Richard Kingsmill's Triple J show. Frontman Dougy Mandagi told the Australian broadcaster he'd had the idea for the song's guitar riff for years. "Joseph [Greer, guitarist] and myself just kind of worked it out in his old flat one day," he explained. "I have riffs on my phone that are 2-3 years old. So, it's been a while; some never see the light of day."
• The single was recorded with songwriter Pascal Gabriel (Kylie Minogue, Ladyhawke) and producer Damian Taylor, who previously worked with The Killers on their 2011 album Battle Born. "We actually wanted to make a guitar record," said Managi of Taylor. "We just liked his resumé and we met up with him backstage at a festival in Montreal and we just got along."
• The phrase "Thick of Thieves" meaning two or more friends who are very close was first used in the early 19th century. An early example is from the English newspaper The Morning Chronicle, in a letter published in February 1828: "Bill Morris and me are as thick as two thieves."
• Other artists that have written songs titled "Thick as Thieves" that describe a close relationship include Dashboard Confessional and Kasabian.